Reopening Kentucky

[KY_Transplant]

Originally Posted by hogsrus

The rest of the State has always conformed to the whims of the golden triangle. Our so called Governor had the guts enough to mention the "Golden Triangle" in his Mr Rogers speech the other day.

No it's not fair! He'll keep us closed down as long as he possibly can in an attempt to get all the money he can get from the Fed for the "Golden Triangle".

https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/pub...YD4UUkzYZcKYB8

Nearly three BILLION as of today....and that's just Kentucky. I can't imagine what some of the larger states are getting.

I agree with Mitch, if you can't make it work with that kind of money, fine just take bankrupt, then you can explain to the bankruptcy court what you did with it.

There are several other issues little Andy will have to deal with shortly that I won't bring up here.

I have lived in quite a few places across Kentucky and the “ Golden Triangle” was probably my least favorite. I have lived in Florence...Louisville...Frankfort. After a couple years in Nashville, TN I am back in KY and this time in Bowling Green which I LOVE. The Golden triangle is overrated to me, but it is the most populated area of the State and receives the most attention, by far.

As for KY reopening, it will certainly need to be based upon which area in the State. For example, where I am located should open relatively soon. Not only is our case count low in Warren County,, a lot of folks commute to Tennessee for work, healthcare and leisure. It makes no sense to keep it locked down here when people are going to TN which opens Monday.

Another example...why should a county, such as Allen county remain in lockdown with low cases just because Jefferson County has more cases from population, etc.

Unfortunately, the Governor will have to have different reopenings for different portions of the State.

[rstevens62]

I dont think its a good idea to start having some counties open, and some still under restrictions, whats to prevent someone from coming from a restricted county to one thats fully open?


Unless the police set up check points on every road that enters and exists the county, it would be next to impossible to enforce.

[Oldhag1]

My friend’s hubby not only had a colonoscopy yesterday, but she was allowed to accompany him. She said they checked her temperature, asked symptom questions, she had to wear a mask the entire time, and was restricted to specific places. She said the workers were practically giddy they were so happy to be back working with patients. Apparently the doctor kept telling her how happy he was to be working again, he told her most of the doctors in our area were starting to worry they would end up having to declare bankruptcy if it lasted much longer. With only one hospitalized COVID patient and every other patient pretty much restricted to heart attacks, strokes, and baby births apparently the hospital had decreased everyone’s hours and had begun laying people off.

[KY_Transplant]

Originally Posted by rstevens62

I dont think its a good idea to start having some counties open, and some still under restrictions, whats to prevent someone from coming from a restricted county to one thats fully open?


Unless the police set up check points on every road that enters and exists the county, it would be next to impossible to enforce.

Simpson County Judge Executive has proposed to the Governor of opening retail stores, restaurants and salons at 25% capacity, but his idea was rejected. It was argued that it would be safer to open Simpson County and keep people in town versus them crossing the TN line and driving to Portland, Hendersonville or Nashville to shop, dine-in or get a haircut. There are more cases and hotspots in Sumner and Davidson Counties TN that could bring cases back to Simpson County.

I think the Judge Executive’s idea was smart and measured. We cannot have a “one size fits all approach” to opening as the Governor states that he wants.

Another example, Indiana has opened movie theaters, restaurants and stores to, I think, 50% capacity. I bet plenty of people in Jefferson County, Oldham County will cross the River to Indiana to get hair cuts, eat at restaurants and shop.

I thought Beshear had stated he would re-open along the same lines as Ohio and Indiana, yet they are re-opening much quicker compared to us.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by KY_Transplant

Simpson County Judge Executive has proposed to the Governor of opening retail stores, restaurants and salons at 25% capacity, but his idea was rejected. It was argued that it would be safer to open Simpson County and keep people in town versus them crossing the TN line and driving to Portland, Hendersonville or Nashville to shop, dine-in or get a haircut. There are more cases and hotspots in Sumner and Davidson Counties TN that could bring cases back to Simpson County.

I think the Judge Executive’s idea was smart and measured. We cannot have a “one size fits all approach” to opening as the Governor states that he wants.

Another example, Indiana has opened movie theaters, restaurants and stores to, I think, 50% capacity. I bet plenty of people in Jefferson County, Oldham County will cross the River to Indiana to get hair cuts, eat at restaurants and shop.

I thought Beshear had stated he would re-open along the same lines as Ohio and Indiana, yet they are re-opening much quicker compared to us.

I totally agree. The aggravating part is the area that most needs to remain locked down, Louisville (Jefferson County), and which is one of the places he is supposedly basing our entire state’s delayed opening on, is also one of areas most likely to be crossing state lines and where it will be easiest to do so.

For those of us living in places with few, if any, cases it is highly annoying. You just know if we were the ones with outbreaks and the big cities had almost none, keeping Lexington, Louisville, and Northern Kentucky closed would never be considered. We’d be closed on our own.

[CraigCreek]

Part of the problem is that so many people who work in the larger cities commute across from other counties, some neighboring and some farther away. So they could become asymptomatic vectors of the disease and bring it home from work with them and start new hotspots. Ditto with services offered in larger communities - but if things are slowed and locked down, disease spread will also be limited.

One size may not fit all perfectly, but it's better than having it fit only some and leaving the others out in the corona cold, or with having regulations change with county lines - who could keep up with that in the Inner Bluegrass, where less infected counties surround Fayette County (Lexington) and send thousands to work in Lexington every day. So if all-state regulations are too unwieldly or severe, then at least regional regulations should be considered.

The virus has no idea whether it's in Fayette or Woodford County. But lessening restrictions in more lightly affected commuter counties is very likely to result in increased rates of disease in those counties about two or three weeks later.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

Part of the problem is that so many people who work in the larger cities commute across from other counties, some neighboring and some farther away. So they could become asymptomatic vectors of the disease and bring it home from work with them and start new hotspots. Ditto with services offered in larger communities - but if things are slowed and locked down, disease spread will also be limited.

One size may not fit all perfectly, but it's better than having it fit only some and leaving the others out in the corona cold, or with having regulations change with county lines - who could keep up with that in the Inner Bluegrass, where less infected counties surround Fayette County (Lexington) and send thousands to work in Lexington every day. So if all-state regulations are too unwieldly or severe, then at least regional regulations should be considered.

The virus has no idea whether it's in Fayette or Woodford County. But lessening restrictions in more lightly affected commuter counties is very likely to result in increased rates of disease in those counties about two or three weeks later.

What you are missing with this rationale is that people who live in Lexington, Louisville, or other large cities are not getting in their cars going to uninfected areas to work or shop. Commuting runs the opposite direction. If the highly infected big cities are closed people aren’t going to them for work and bringing the bugs back. Now... if the people from the more populated areas start descending on Little City, Ky because they are open that might start to be an issue - but let’s face it, most aren’t going to simply because the options are limited by the fact that they are always limited.

You stay home, those of us in the middle of nowhere will just continue to go about our own business in our podunk communities, where we’ve been naturally social distancing for decades.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

What you are missing with this rationale is that people who live in Lexington, Louisville, or other large cities are not getting in their cars going to uninfected areas to work or shop. Commuting runs the opposite direction. If the highly infected big cities are closed people aren’t going to them for work and bringing the bugs back. Now... if the people from the more populated areas start descending on Little City, Ky because they are open that might start to be an issue - but let’s face it, most aren’t going to simply because the options are limited by the fact that they are always limited.

You stay home, those of us in the middle of nowhere will just continue to go about our own business in our podunk communities, where we’ve been naturally social distancing for decades.

That may be true, that residents and those who work in larger cities do not frequent the smaller ones (it would not normally be true of me, as I ordinarily could have been found in Berea, Versailles, Carlisle, and close to Danville as well as Lexington, as I went about my normal life) - but those who live in the smaller locations often work in Lexington or Louisville, and they could carry the virus back home with them unknowingly.

Or course, if you completely shut down the larger cities and prevent ANYONE from going to work or leaving their homes for any reason, perhaps you'd see a better outcome. But considering the anger some have voiced about the more moderate measures which were put into effect - I doubt very much if that the complete shut-down you seem to describe would have been feasible.

So maybe "you just go about your own business", and forget about where the first case of COVID-19 was found in Kentucky. It wasn't in one of the "big cities". It was in Cynthiana, pop. 6,402, and it was spread through unknowing contact at church and at Wal-Mart.

I don't think the virus discriminates between large and small.

As for staying home, that's what I've been doing since March 7, since I am doubly high-risk. I'm fine with that, and will continue to do what's right for me and what my doctor recommends, without complaining that it hampers my style.