FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday he has tested negative for the new coronavirus after attending a public event in Louisville where another individual tested positive.
Beshear said his test results came back Saturday. He didn’t specify the location of the event or when it occurred.
His office said Kentucky now has 21 positive cases, up three from a day earlier. They range in age from 27 to 80.
Also Sunday, Kentucky Democratic U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth said he will self-quarantine at home this week and is awaiting test results after being in the presence of someone last week who has since tested positive for the coronavirus.
Beshear said he was disappointed to learn about large gatherings in Kentucky at a time when schools and senior centers are closing temporarily to avoid the spread of the virus, nursing homes are restricting visitors and most court proceedings are being postponed.
“This weekend we saw in some instances hundreds of people going into one bar or one club,” Beshear said in a video broadcast on Facebook. “We’re asking people to make major sacrifices. We’re shutting down schools for a least a couple of weeks. We have to make sure that these efforts work. And if you go out and get into a small place with 100-plus people, you frustrate those efforts.”
He also criticized people who buy large amounts of supplies and clear store shelves, leaving nothing for others to purchase.
“Fear can cause so much more harm than this virus ever will,” Beshear said.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.
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