FRANKFORT, Ky. — A 16-year-old is the second person in Kentucky to contract a COVID-19-related "pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome," Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack announced during Gov. Andy Beshear's Tuesday briefing.
Watch a replay of the press conference in the player below:
On Monday, Stack said a 10-year-old in Kentucky is currently on a ventilator in critical condition due to a COVID-19-related inflammatory syndrome that affects young people.
Stack said symptoms of this immune system syndrome vary, and possible symptoms include fever, rash, abdominal pain mimicking appendicitis, gastrointestinal problems and respiratory problems. The syndrome, which Stack says is similar to Kawasaki syndrome, first appeared in New York state, which has been hard-hit with coronavirus cases.
"There's not much you can do to prevent this except to take all the steps we've told you about," Stack said, including social distancing, wearing masks and staying home.
Officials did not identify the 10-year-old's gender or location to protect their privacy. Beshear said Tuesday that the child's condition has improved slightly, though they are still using a ventilator.
Reopening KY businesses
All Kentucky workers and customers inside public-facing businesses are required to wear face masks.
Additionally, manufacturing, construction, vehicle/vessel dealerships, professional services, horse racing without spectators and pet grooming and boarding were allowed to reopen starting Monday.
With these rules and phased reopenings in place, Gov. Andy Beshear hopes to prevent a second spike in coronavirus cases.
“The economies that will thrive coming out of this are going to be the ones that don’t have to shut down a second time,” Beshear said Monday.
At his Friday briefing, Beshear unveiled more types of businesses that can reopen this month. Funeral homes are permitted to reopen May 20, the same day houses of worship can begin holding limited in-person services.
Hair salons, barbershops, massage therapy and various cosmetology services can reopen on May 25.
Last week, the governor announced restaurants across Kentucky can reopen with outdoor seating only at 33% capacity starting May 22. Bars will likely remain closed until July, he said. As part of Phase 2 of Kentucky's plan to reopen, Beshear announced that movie theaters and fitness centers can begin to reopen starting June 1. Camp grounds, both public and private, can reopen June 11. Childcare and youth sports can resume June 15.
Phase 3 of Kentucky's reopening includes gatherings of 50 people, though Beshear could not give a specific date for the transition. It's still unclear if public pools, including apartment complex pools, would be able to reopen in summer due to the inability for people using them to properly social distance.
Where to get tested
In partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Kentucky opened a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Erlanger on Monday. The free testing site on 25 Atlantic Ave is open to anyone by appointment only until at least May 15. Call 1-800-737-7900 to make an appointment.
Beshear also announced new coronavirus testing locations last week, including two in Bluegrass Urgent Cares located in Northern Kentucky. You can find those new testing sites here.
Currently, there are 50 testing sites across Kentucky, Beshear said Monday.
KY coronavirus numbers
On Tuesday Beshear announced 10 new virus-related deaths and 191 new cases across the commonwealth.
So far, there have been 321 virus-related deaths statewide and 6,853 total positive COVID-19 cases. As of Friday, more than 2,500 people have recovered from the virus and 110,609 total people have been tested.
“It hurts to lose 321 people to this. So let’s remember that it’s real. Let’s remember that it’s taken people from us. This isn’t made up. It’s a lot worse and a lot more deadly than the flu,” Beshear said. “I believe every Kentuckian has value. I believe every Kentuckian counts. I mourn for these 321 people and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we don’t unnecessarily lose people going forward.”
On Tuesday, NKY Health reported 50 total deaths and 780 total positive cases in Kenton, Boone, Campbell and Grant counties.
