One person tests positive for COVID-19 after attending "coronavirus party" in Kentucky
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says one person who attended a "coronavirus party" instead of practicing social distancing has tested positive for COVID-19. The governor on Tuesday scolded the individuals during a briefing about the outbreak and urged people in his state to follow precautions.
As of Tuesday, Kentucky has 163 confirmed cases of COVID-19, but one of the new cases in particular drew the ire of the governor: a person who got sick after going to a party with a group of young adults in their 20s.
"This is the part where I tell everybody to remain calm while remaining calm myself," he said. "Because anyone who goes to something like this may think they are indestructible, but it's someone else's loved one that they are going to hurt."
Beshear said no one should be having these sort of get-togethers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against any gatherings of more than 10 people.
"We are battling for the health and even the lives of our parents and our grandparents," Beshear said. "And don't be so callous to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that can kill other people. We ought to be much better than that. We all owe each other a duty to protect each other and we simply can't have folks that are doing things like this."
Despite his anger, Beshear spoke of forgiveness. "This is one that makes me mad. And it should make you mad. And ultimately, the power of forgiveness — we get through this, we should forgive that person. But no more of these anywhere, statewide — ever, for any reason," he said.
Last week, the CDC said young adults between the ages of 20 and 44 made up nearly one-third of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and 20% of the hospitalizations. They warned that the demographic faces a substantial risk from the illness, even though most of the deaths have occurred in older age groups.
"There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill, and very seriously ill in the ICUs," Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said last week. She urged millennials, in particular, to heed the warnings because the generation is so large it could have a substantial impact on the trajectory of the coutbreak.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Beshear doesn't believe the people at the party knew someone there had the virus.
So far in the United States, more than 62,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 869 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
