SPECTRUM NEWS 1 CORONAVIRUS BLOG

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Numbers do not lie, and they show that after more than two years, when the COVID-19 pandemic will end remains a mystery.

A majority of Kentucky counties, including Fayette and Jefferson, are in the “red zone,” which means the community level of new COVID-19 infections is high.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden continues to “improve significantly” despite a lingering sore throat from his coronavirus infection, according to an update Sunday from his doctor.

“The president is responding to therapy as expected,” wrote Dr. Kevin O’Connor in his latest note. Biden has been taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug that helps reduce the chance of severe illness.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky's largest school district will require universal masking on school property as Jefferson County moves into the highest level of COVID-19 community spread.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, told Spectrum News on Friday that President Joe Biden is "doing fine" after his COVID-19 diagnosis.

“The good news is that [Biden is] in generally good health," Dr. Fauci told Spectrum News' Kevin Frey, mentioning he spoke with President Biden's physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor on Friday morning. "He's been vaccinated, he's been doubly boosted. And he's on an antiviral drug, Paxlovid, which clearly has a very positive impact in preventing people from progressing to severe disease.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Researchers at the University of Kentucky have developed an antiviral face mask that will deactivate the COVID spike protein on contact.

UK Professor Dibakar Bhattacharyya said they’ve developed a material to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s COVID-19 weekly positivity rate is currently 17.7%. However, that rate doesn’t provide the full picture of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth because it’s calculated using electronically submitted PCR test results.

Given people now test with at-home kits and fewer people are testing altogether, there are likely COVID-19 positive cases that don’t get reported. Evidence to back this up can be found in Louisville, where the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute has been testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, since June 2020.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A team of University of Kentucky researchers have developed a medical face mask material that can trap and neutralize the virus that causes COVID-19.

Led by engineering professor Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya (DB) and Ph.D student Rollie Mills, the team developed a membrane with enzymes that deactivate the spike proteins on SARS-CoV-2 particles. Spike proteins allow the virus to enter host cells once inside the body.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — COVID-19 cases continue climbing in Kentucky, with the latest statewide weekly positivity rate of close to 17%.

Since mid-April, Norton Immediate Care Centers have seen a slow but steady increase in the positivity rate for COVID-19, according to Dr. Mary Rademaker, executive medical director.

About 25 million children worldwide have missed out on routine immunizations against common diseases like diptheria, largely because the coronavirus pandemic disrupted regular health services or triggered misinformation about vaccines, according to the U.N.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For Mari-Elise Paul, being able to get her daughter vaccinated against COVID-19 was something that brought her to tears. Tears of joy because it means her family can return to a sense of normalcy.

Her four-year-old daughter, Stella, is immunocompromised and had to have a heart transplant when she was only eight months old. Since then, Stella is doing much better, but her family has been limited in what activities they’ve been able to do.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.— More Kentucky kids can now get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The very first COVID-19 vaccines went into the arms of some little Kentuckians Friday morning. Norton Healthcare now offers the shot for children 6 months and older at their Norton Children’s Medical Group offices.

FLORENCE, Ky. — An organization that has been one of the leaders in COVID-19 testing in northern Kentucky announced the closing of some of its testing sites.

While there is still a demand for getting tested, one Gravity Diagnostics leader said that demand is far less than it has been in the past, and the company is ready to move on, at least for now.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — There's a new memorial supporting the victims of COVID-19 in Kentucky.

The Yellow Heart Memorial was made to honor all of the loved ones lost to COVID-19. It's an organization founded by Rosie Davis, according to Dorothy Wiemers.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gas is almost averaging $5 per gallon nationwide. To ease the price at the pump for some Kentuckians, Lexington is offering free $25 gas gift cards to all who get their COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot this weekend.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Some health departments in Central Kentucky are seeing a “silent surge” in COVID-19 infections as cases continue to rise.

Cassie Prather with the Woodford County Health Department said although hospitalizations aren’t spiking, Kentucky is not out of the woods with COVID-19 spreading.

LEXINGTON, Ky .— May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and in the Commonwealth nearly a million people currently suffer from the condition. Doctors right here in Kentucky and across the nation are exploring the topic and why it’s linked to COVID-19 infections.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two weeks after the Kentucky Derby returned to full capacity for the first time in three years, Jefferson County health data show COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Moderna is seeking authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a vaccine that would be available for children 6 months to 5 years old. If approved, it would mean the youngest group of the U.S. population would now be eligible to receive a vaccine.

Milk and Honey Preschool, a child care facility in Lexington, weighed in about it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two days after Divya Samu, 27, flew from Cincinnati back home to New York last week, she took a COVID-19 home rapid test because she was feeling ill and tested positive.

The next morning, she received an alert on her iPhone informing her she had been exposed on April 14 or 15, which gave her more confidence in her positive result.

KENTUCKY — Face masks are now optional for travelers in Kentucky. All of Kentucky's major airports and several public transit systems announced Tuesday that masks are no longer required, effective immediately.

Louisville's TARC and Muhammad Ali International airport cited the latest change in TSA guidance following a federal judge in Florida's ruling that effectively struck down the Biden administration's travel mask mandate.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer safely returned home to Kentucky from Israel on Saturday following his positive COVID-19 test last Sunday.

Mayor Fischer tested positive for COVID-19 while on a trip in Israel for U.S. mayors that was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democrats in Frankfort wanted $400 million for “Hero Pay” bonuses for people like nurses, paramedics, grocery store employees and others deemed “essential” workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A proposal to give essential workers a bonus failed to gain traction during the legislative session this year

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), are attaching a condition to passing another $10 billion in COVID relief funds saying they want to force a Senate vote on the Biden Administration’s plan to end two years of pandemic restrictions on immigrants seeking asylum at the border.

The Biden Administration said Friday that it will lift Title 42, a policy first enacted by President Donald Trump that essentially closed down the United States asylum system at the border because of the pandemic.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — After nearly two years, unvaccinated students at the University of Kentucky are no longer required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Unvaccinated students at the University of Kentucky no longer require weekly testing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a tweet that contained a statement from Mayor Fischer's Press Office, it was stated that he tested positive while participating in an educational program for U.S. mayors abroad in Israel.

OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. — When President Joe Biden signed the $1.5 trillion federal spending bill, something that could affect many Kentucky families was notably absent.

Students have been able to get one meal per day at school at no cost to their families

RICHMOND, Ky. — Across the state, COVID-19 cases are declining.

But in the last two years, health care professionals and doctors have battled the virus, working long and hard to save lives.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — State lawmakers overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of two sizeable pieces of legislation late Monday night, including a measure to end the COVID-19 state of emergency.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Health authorities and vaccine researchers are increasingly interested in the pursuit of a “universal” COVID-19 vaccine that is resistant to variants.

After the omicron wave demonstrated that the virus’s ability to mutate can jeopardize the efficacy of existing vaccines, U.S. health officials have acknowledged that creating more durable vaccines will be key to a successful long-term vaccine strategy.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed SJR 150, a measure that would prematurely end Kentucky's COVID-19 state of emergency, citing concerns that millions would lose emergency food benefits.

The joint resolution passed with enough support to override a gubernatorial veto, but Beshear urged lawmakers to "put politics aside and do what's right for our families."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the first time in two years, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, gave an in-person update on COVID-19.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Struggling Kentuckians would lose extra food stamp benefits if a Republican-backed measure to end the COVID-19 state of emergency early becomes law, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.

The state’s GOP-dominated legislature finished work on the measure last week, sending it to the Democratic governor. Beshear hasn’t taken action on the measure but condemned it as “politics at its worst.” The resolution cleared the legislature with enough votes to override a gubernatorial veto.

OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. — The season of Lent has begun as members of the Catholic Church abstain from meat on Fridays. That means fish fries have returned.

“Being with the guys, a good bunch of people, a good bunch of people,” David Haight, a volunteer, said. “Realizing what we're doing is a worthwhile endeavor.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For over a year now, University of Kentucky researchers have been testing wastewater to detect early signs of COVID-19.

Over the last year, researchers at the University of Kentucky have been testing wastewater both on campus and around the state, looking for early signs of COVID-19 outbreaks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Beginning on Thursday, March 10, masks will no longer be required to be worn in the largest school district in Kentucky.

“I want to say once again that I follow the guidance the locally elected board gives me, they are the 7 people that hire me and supervise me as an employee,” superintendent Dr. Mary Polio said. “Last night it was pretty clear on that guidance.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A House committee approved a measure prohibiting public-sector employers from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — As COVID-19 cases drop, Kentuckians should resist feeling pressure to peel off masks if they think it’s best for them to keep wearing facial coverings in public, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.

Beshear reported that the number of new coronavirus cases, the test positivity rate and virus-related hospitalizations declined again last week in Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fat Tuesday promotions are helping Louisville restaurants turn the corner.

As restaurants around Kentucky celebrated Fat Tuesday, it could be the strongest indication yet that the country has finally turned the corner in its fight against coronavirus.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — March 6, 2022 marks the two year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. As the virus began to spread, it shifted how people lived their daily lives at work, school and even at their places of business.

COVID-19 didn’t make its way to Kentucky until March 6, 2020, which was months after it was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Governor Andy Beshear immediately briefed the people of Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As COVID-19 restrictions continue to be eased, many restaurants across the state are working hard to hire more people.

A Louisville restaurant in the Clifton neighborhood that temporarily closed its doors last year because of limited staffing is back in business.

COVINGTON, Ky. — Anne Beran said she’s been working with brides for 11 years. Two years ago, things she never expected came to life as the coronavirus pandemic made its way into the area.

“I mean I had a whole setup at my kitchen table for two months where I FaceTimed people to get them measured, people were still ordering bridesmaid dresses, I even sold a bridal gown from my kitchen table. So while things came to a halt, they were still kind of going and I think that was something I didn’t expect,” Beran said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The daily incident rate of COVID-19 is declining and the number of vaccinated residents in Louisville is rising. Mayor Greg Fischer announced masks are no longer required in Louisville Metro Government buildings and vehicles beginning Friday, March 4.

In a statement, Fischer said, “We’re making masks optional for people working and doing business in Metro Government facilities because the virus is declining in our community. But make no mistake — COVID-19 is still very present in our community and is still sending residents, mostly the unvaccinated, to hospitals. Our progress against COVID-19 wouldn’t be possible without so many residents making the obvious choice to get a free and safe vaccine and boosters offering strong protection against serious illness from the virus.”

DRY RIDGE, Ky. — Tommy Weber, a member of The People’s Convoy, said the group’s goal to have truckers ride up to Indianapolis and then out to Washington, D.C. is to protest COVID-19 mandates and protect Constitutional rights.

“We demand the declaration of national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic be lifted immediately and our cherished constitution reign supreme,” Weber said.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Nearly two years into its fight against COVID-19, Kentucky is pivoting into an era of “personal empowerment” with people making their own health decisions as coronavirus cases decline and tools to treat it emerge, Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday.

“We believe that we’re moving toward living with COVID but not ignoring COVID,” the Democratic governor said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Nearly half of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests the Biden administration recently made available to the public still have not been claimed as virus cases plummet and people feel less urgency to test.

Wild demand swings have been a subplot in the pandemic, from vaccines to hand sanitizer, along with tests. On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in for the packages of four free rapid tests per household, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky University announced on Friday in a message from university president Tim Caboni that their mask requirement would be lifted, effective immediately.

According to the message, WKU’s number of positive cases has dropped by 96.9% since the start of the semester. That, combined with the announcement of the CDC’s revised masking guidance that relaxes requirements for schools, spurred the university’s decision.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Senate committee on Wednesday signed off on a measure to end the COVID-19 state of emergency early.

“What it’s time to do is return to our normal ways of living,” said Sen. Donald Douglas (R-Nicholasville), the resolution’s sponsor.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — You’ll hear Shannon Pearson’s voice at Newburg Church of Christ answering the phone, singing in the choir, and sharing the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Republican Senators filed a resolution Friday that, if passed, would end the COVID-19 state of emergency in Kentucky.

When Kentucky reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 6, 2020, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency that paved the way for several restrictions aimed at slowing the pandemic.

RICHMOND, Ky. — For nearly two years, health care professionals have battled COVID-19 day in and day out. The pandemic brought along stresses and challenges, but many, like Dr. Taylor Dunn, are actively working to balance their lives between home and work.

During her off time, Dunn often bakes. As she prepped some of her mother-in-law’s famous no-bake cookies in the kitchen, she recalled the balance that her husband brings to her home life.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Some central Kentucky residents have received a door hanger at their residence opposing vaccine mandates by President Joe Biden.

The hanger is paid for by Washington, D.C.-based Young Americans for Liberty Inc. (YAL), a nonprofit Libertarian youth organization focused on advancing its views on college campuses and in electoral politics funded through private donations. The group defines its four-step mission as identifying, educating, training and mobilizing youth activists.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky man is restarting his life after battling an opioid addiction for more than a decade.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Under a bill that passed a House committee Tuesday, no state law, executive order or school policy could require masks, including at public colleges.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The CDC’s guidance on January 6 recommended that all high-risk sports and extracurricular activities such as band should be virtual or canceled in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are fully vaccinated.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville pastor has a very personal reason for working with Norton health care on getting his congregation vaccinated.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The federal government sent billions of dollars to local schools intending to protect students from the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms by upgrading ventilation and filtration systems. It has been difficult, however, to determine exactly how schools and districts spent that money and if they used it for its intended purpose.

In the year and a half since millions of children were sent home, the U.S. Department of Education has done limited tracking only of how the money has been spent. That has left officials in Washington largely in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students, especially those whose schools and communities were among the hardest hit by the pandemic, according to a report by ProPublica.

MILWAUKEE — Over the past two years, the scientific world has seen a steady flow of research updating what we know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and how it affects humans.

Because the virus is so new, researchers are still grappling with many questions about its function. And because of the nature of the scientific process, no single study can completely answer those questions. Instead, new research is constantly challenging our understanding of the pandemic.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Every home in the United States is eligible to order four free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests.

Plus, if you have health insurance, via an employer or marketplace, they can reimburse you for up to eight at-⁠home tests each month for each person on your plan. The tests are simple to use and convenient, but they require you to pay close attention to the instructions because a misstep could cause a false negative test.

CLEVELAND — A recent Cleveland Clinic survey is shedding light on the pandemic's effects on heart health.

The survey, which was completed by 1,000 U.S. participants in November, shows that 41% of Americans experienced some form of at least one heart-related issue since the pandemic began in March 2020.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On the first day of February, after over two weeks of declining COVID-19 cases in Louisville, the “worst of the omicron wave is likely behind us,” Dr. Sarah Beth Hartledge, Associate Medical Director of Louisville’s Public Health Department, said Tuesday.

The past seven days have seen 12,213 new COVID cases in Louisville, compared to roughly 14,000 last week and 16,000 the week before that.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Some health officials are reminding people as they receive their free at-home COVID-19 tests to bring them inside as quickly as possible.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. government has one billion COVID-19 self-tests available for free and ready to ship for U.S. households.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington has seen the highest numbers of cases they have ever seen during the pandemic in a single day, with over 1,000 cases.

Overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, Christina King with the Lexington Fayette County Health Department says as of Friday morning there were over 1,000 new cases in Fayette County.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Negative. That was the result of of Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and her husband’s COVID-19 test Wednesday.

Gorton and her husband Charlie tested positive Jan. 20. In a statement Wednesday Gorton wrote, “I believe being fully vaccinated and boosted helped keep our COVID-19 symptoms fairly minor.”

RICHMOND, Ky. — COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Kentucky and now at least one area hospital is suspending elective procedures because of the escalating cases.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized thousands of counterfeit 3M masks around the country. The selling of fake masks has increased along with the demand after medical experts suggested using N95 or KN95 masks as protection from the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant.

“Criminal enterprises continue to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to sell counterfeit, unapproved, and unsafe PPE and pharmaceuticals,” said Steve Bansbach, public affairs specialist at the Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection for Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania (Erie), Minnesota and Nebraska. “But U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has remained focused on its mission to protect consumers, reduce trading costs and promote a level playing field for American businesses.”

COVINGTON, Ky. — The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on small businesses throughout Kentucky over the last few years. While many have succumbed to the mounting pressure and financial hardships, others have persevered, adapted and managed to stay afloat.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- COVID-19 has affected schools across the state and that includes Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS).

COVINGTON, Ky. — Older Kentuckians are a more vulnerable population when it comes to COVID-19, but booster shots may be the key to staying safe.

CDC research shows that amid the Omicron wave, those 65 and older who haven't received that booster shot are 49 times more likely to be hospitalized compared to their boosted counterparts.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After weeks of ripping through Louisville, the COVID-19 omicron variant appears to have plateaued in Kentucky’s largest city, according to samples of wastewater taken by researchers at the University of Louisville.

“The wastewater data from this week indicates that we have not yet turned the corner — levels are high and flat,” Dr. Ted Smith, director of UofL’s Center for Healthy Air, Water and Soil, wrote in an email. “The good news is that we are not seeing any further increase in the community as a whole.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and her husband Charlie have tested positive for COVID-19.

The mayor's office released a notice Thursday saying that both the mayor and her husband have received both vaccinations as well as their booster shots.

Dr. Sarabeth Hartlage, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness’s associate medical director, says increasing access to testing is a great step for the community.

“You can get a test at home just so you know if you're positive and that can guide your actions in terms of going to visit with family members or whether you're attending school or work, things like that,” says Hartlage.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the two weeks since the Kentucky General Assembly returned to Frankfort for the 2022 legislative session, COVID-19 has surged in the commonwealth like never before. Despite case counts setting records, school districts returning to nontraditional instruction, and hospital admissions rising, some state legislators are pushing bills that would restrict the best available tool to beat back the pandemic — vaccines.

Republican lawmakers have filed several pieces of legislation that would ban employers, governmental entities, and colleges from mandating COVID-19 vaccines and legislation to ban businesses from requiring customers to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Public health officials said these measures would make it more difficult for the state to protect the vulnerable and fight off the pandemic, while also further politicizing what should be a public health issue.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds of Jefferson County Public School staff members remain in isolation/quarantine as of Monday, Jan. 17 and as a result, JCPS is extending Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) for the rest of the week, through Jan. 21.

In a letter sent to Spectrum News 1, JCPS said, " As of 2:15 p.m. today, we had 692 staff in isolation/quarantine due to COVID-19, about 30 more than last Sunday. This does not include staff who have approved absences for other reasons."

OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. — Fifth grader Breylan Florkey can be found most days playing basketball in his driveway. It's his way of unwinding after a long day at school.

His mother, Jordyn Florkey said her children are feeling the impact of masking up again after Oldham County's school board voted to bring the rules back.

KENTUCKY — Hospitals across Kentucky are seeing some of the highest number of COVID-19 patients they’ve had since the start of the pandemic.

COVID numbers are up across the state

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools shifted to NTI this week due to COVID-19 cases in hundreds of staff members, Superintendent Marty Pollio said Friday.

The district will re-evaluate whether they'll return to in-person classes next week after Monday's day off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After the U.S Supreme Court ruled healthcare facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare can mandate their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Kentucky Nurses Association CEO Delanor Manson said the organization was in favor of the decision.

Manson called it a "very positive step" in the fight against COVID-19.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Since March of 2020, Ambulatory Care has been providing drive-thru testing and COVID-19 vaccination services to veterans at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center.

United States Army veteran Gary Eicher is one of them. Eicher said he would do anything for his country, still to this day.

MILWAUKEE — COVID-19 is spreading fast as the year gets underway. And with omicron sending cases to record highs, more and more people are navigating what to do after a positive test.

The CDC recently updated its guidance on quarantine and isolation. The new timelines can get complicated, but taking the right steps is important to help stop the spread.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY — Getting sick with COVID-19 and dealing with the symptoms, which vary from person to person, can be a scary proposition on its own for many people.

At least those symptoms eventually go away for the majority of people who are able to recover.

MOREHEAD, Ky. — The volume of patients is going up in hospitals rapidly across the state, including in Rowan County.

Back in the summer, St. Claire Regional Hospital experienced the delta surge that spilled into a field hospital.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was a smooth first day back for Jefferson County Public School students to online learning.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Emergency doctors in Lexington are urging the public to use independent off site COVID-19 testing locations.

As the cases continue to increase in Fayette County, emergency rooms are seeing more people coming to their facilities for more than just emergencies.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds of students, staff, and faculty members at the University of Louisville, which started spring semester classes Monday, are calling on the school to alter plans for in-person instruction as COVID-19 cases continue to set records in Kentucky.

In a petition with more than 1,000 signatures, members of the UofL community, including alumni and parents, are asking the university to take six steps to “ensure the health and safety of the campus community for all students and workers.”

RICHMOND, Ky. — Members of the Kentucky National Guard are back in hospitals to help with the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Gov. Andy Beshear deployed 445 Guard members to aid hospital staff and food banks on Monday.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky reported its highest weekly total ever for new COVID-19 cases with 52,603. The second highest week for new cases was the week ending Sept. 5, 2021 when 30,680 cases were reported.

Gov. Andy Beshear made the announcement during a Team Kentucky update Monday. He also announced the state's highest ever positivity rate of 26.33%.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As Kentucky COVID-19 cases increase, Churchill Downs has partnered with the City of Louisville and Bluewater Diagnostic Laboratories to increase testing capabilities in Louisville, a location that can test up to 5,000 daily.

COVINGTON, Ky. — It's been talked about nationally all through the holidays: Long COVID-19 testing lines. That trend has continued at a Gravity Diagnostics site in Covington.

On Saturday, Adam Guthaus and his family were getting tested after learning a neighbor caught it.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools offered another vaccine clinic this weekend, this time aimed at ESL families, or families who speak English as a second language.

Newcomer Academy was filled with Jefferson County Public School parents like Letecia Brooks on Saturday, eager to get her daughter vaccinated.

Ambulances in Kansas speed toward hospitals then suddenly change direction because hospitals are full. Employee shortages in New York City cause delays in trash and subway services and diminish the ranks of firefighters and emergency workers. Airport officials shut down security checkpoints at the biggest terminal in Phoenix and schools across the nation struggle to find teachers for their classrooms.

The current explosion of omicron-fueled coronavirus infections in the U.S. is causing a breakdown in basic functions and services — the latest illustration of how COVID-19 keeps upending life more than two years into the pandemic.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A steady barrage of midday snow blanketed Kentucky on Thursday, and road crews are still working through Friday to clear off roads for safe commuting.

Despite a COVID-related staffing shortage within its Public Works department, the Louisville Metro government has been able to adapt to the situation to ensure its expansive Snow Team can get the job done.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal appeals court has declined to lift a ban in three states on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers who contract with the federal government.

A judge in Louisville, Kentucky, issued the preliminary injunction in November that blocked the mandate for that state and two others — Tennessee and Ohio.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Commonwealth set another record for new coronavirus cases in a single day as the omicron variant continues to spread like wildfire.

Kentucky reported 9,807 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, a single-day record for the state since the beginning of the pandemic, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — As schools in Fayette County start up their spring semester, COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

The University of Kentucky and the Fayette County Public School District have decided to keep their students in person for the time being.