Covid19 A Block

story at 6p

Governor anr andy beshearhas announced that he again has renewed the states executive order requiring facial coverings for another 30 days.

That comes after another concerning day for state health officials... as confirmed cases of the coronavirus once again go over 1,000.

Fs vo bullets:no coronavirus in kentucky source: office of the governor new cases: 1,054 total cases: 7 ... according to the governor's office... 1,054 new cases of the virus are being reported today.

That brings the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to more than 74,000.

There were also four more deaths from the virus... bringing the death toll now to 1,218.

The positivity rate has dropped slightly to four- point-two-nine percent.

Ots image:left city workers quarantined coronavirus 10.jpg the coronavirus is forcing entire departments in some cities to quarantine....so, then what...especially if it's considered an essential service?

Abc 36's christy bollinger shows you two examples in lexington and richmond.

L3: abc 36 news white several city employees in quarantine richmond & lexington l3: abc 36 news white rob minerich city manager - richmond l3: abc 36 news white several city employees in quarantine richmond & lexington l3 christy: abc 36 news white white ken armstrong commissioner, dept.

Of lexington public safety l3: abc 36 news white several city employees in quarantine richmond & lexington what does a city do when an entire department is quarantined due to an employee testing positive for the coronavirus?

Plan and adjust.

That's what the city of richmond did before everyone in the public works department was forced to quarantine for two weeks.

The department handles...among other things...road repairs, potholes, picks up tree limbs and leaves..

And helps with trash.

Rob minerich-city manager "we ask that citizens be patient with us while we try to cover these services and hopefully we'll be back to full operation next tuesday."

In the meantime, the city is covering with workers from the parks and recycling departments.

"it's not unfamiliar territory for these people but it'll run them a little thin with everything else they're doing right now."

But even with the temporary fill- ins...the city says road repairs, pothole filling and fall paving projects will be delayed a week.

Christy"21 employees in the public works department currently in quarantine.

Let's take a walk over to lexington where the emergency management department has six employees in quarantine."

The city says an employee's positive test sent six co- workers home..

Leaving only two in the department.

Keith armstrong-lex public safety "we could pull from essentially any division in government.

We have some plans to do that if needed, but we don't think it will be."

The city says the six in quarantine are working from home..

So the department's primary operation, which is the mobile neighborhood covid-19 testing program..

Will not be affected.

"the mayor and the council have been very proactive in making sure that our departments' are ready to respond to any community needs if any of the divisions are affected by covid like this."

Plan and adjust.

Christy bollinger, abc 36 news.

Ots image:left city workers quarantined coronavirus 10.jpg the city of lexington says since coronavirus tracking began... the fire department has had 28 people test positive....four are currently in isolation.

Fourteen in the police department...no one is in isolation right now and the jail has had 15 employees test positive...three are still in isolation.

Ots video tape:right students quaratined <none> dozens of powell county elementary school students are also in quaratine today... after one of their teachers tests positive for covid-19.

Fs img txt bullets:no elementary students in quarantine education.jpg - powell county elementary schoo ... powell county school district superintendent anthony orr says the 52 students are back to remote learning.

Last week... elementary students in the district went back to in-person learning three days a week and remote learning two days a week.

Orr says the district decided on the hybrid schedule in anticipation of this exact scenerio.

Orr says the students are expected to remain quarantined until october 14th.

Another person has died in lexington from the coronavirus.

Fs img txt bullets:no lexington coronavirus cases source: lexington-fayette county health dept.

Coronavir ... the lexington- fayette county health department says that brings the total number of people who have died in the county from the virus to 80.

With 72 new cases being reported today... the county is quickly closing in on the 9,000 mark when it comes to overall cases.

The health department says the number of people who have recovered from the virus in fayette county since the start of the pandemic is now at 7,846.

Several restaurants and bars in lexington are taking up the city's offer to take things outside.

L3: abc 36 news white city: 65+ restaurants and bars have expanded outdoors lexington according to the city of lexington.... at least 65 local restaurants and bars are taking advantage of a program announced by mayor linda gorton in may... allowing them to expand to sidewalks, parking lots and closed streets.

The city relaxed restrictions... letting restaurants and bars expand outdoors so they could seat more customers and maintain social distancing.

Restaurants are still operating at 50 percent capacity... which is the current limit under covid-19 restrictions put in place by the