Social Distancing Is So Important

ANDREA BROWN | Director of The Bourbon County Health Department

As of Tuesday, April 14th, Bourbon County Health Department received notice of a new positive COVID 19 case in Bourbon County.  This makes five total cases from March 13, 2020.  Of the five cases, we are able to celebrate two cases that have fully recovered.
Most of us all, I’m only assuming, watch the Governors press conference everyday at 5pm.  The unified message every evening is we must social distance ourselves to slow the spread of this virus.  By nature, humans are drawn to each other; we are social creatures and these new measures are sometimes hard to accept.  I said it last week and I’ll say it many times more, the responsibility of ending this virus depends on our behavior.  Social distancing has a clear definition.  It means to distance yourself from anyone who doesn’t live in your home.  If someone doesn’t live in your home, you must distance yourself from them…period.  Cookouts, family/friend gatherings at someone’s home (even outside) is NOT social distancing.  The virus lives through human interaction.  If we eliminate the interaction, the virus dies.  We are learning more and more about this virus every day.  Scientist believe that many people are asymptomatic (having no symptoms) to this virus.  If that’s the case, any one of us could be spreading it at any time.  This is why we must stay home, in our own home, to slow the spread.  We live in a day and time when technology can be our lifeline to the outside world.  I myself, have used Facetime and Zoom to connect with family and friends over the last five weeks.  We must utilize these “gift” to help us stay connected but also stay healthy at home.

Last week, the CDC recommended using cloth face coverings for the general public when going out in public when a 6ft distance wasn’t assured.  This would be times when you are grocery shopping, going to the pharmacy, or any other life-sustaining activity where you need to be.  More information about cloth face covering can be found at cdc.gov or bourboncohd.org.  Please remember N95 masks should only be worn by medical professionals.  A cloth face covering will provide enough protection for the general public.
Having enough Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, for our medical professionals has been an issue for not just KY but across the nation.  The state is asking anyone who has access to PPE to please consider donating it so our medical professionals can work safety during this time.  If you would like to donate, please call 888-GIVE-PPE.
Kroger Health has joined partnership with the state to offer more testing for Kentuckians.  Currently, a drive-in testing center has opened at the Frankfort Fair Grounds.  Visit www.thelittleclinic.com/drivethru-testing  or call 1-888-852-2567 to learn more.

As always, the best place to keep up-to-date information on COVID 19 is www.kycovid19.ky.gov or www.bourboncohd.org.  For questions, call the public call center at 1-800-722-5725.