Pendleton County enters red zone with new covid cases; doesn’t mean schools will be closed

    River City News reported on Sunday, November 8 that Pendleton County joined Boone, Kenton and Campbell County as red zone counties.
    “These numbers are truly frightening. I know we’ve been in this fight for so long that it’s easy to get numb to the scary headlines and high case numbers,” said Gov. Beshear. “That’s normal. It’s human nature. But you have to understand this is the most dangerous COVID-19 has ever been in the commonwealth and it is leading to more of our fellow Kentuckians becoming sick, being hospitalized and dying. We can only get back to normal if we address it head on and that is why I am urging all of you, especially those in red counties, to follow recommendations for reducing the spread in your community.”
    Pendleton County Superintendent Joe Buerkley told Falmouth Outlook that the red zone designation won’t necessarily mean a closing of schools.
    “I agree this is a good tool to assist us in making decisions regarding our mode of operation; however, I believe it is only one piece of data. If our county were to enter the red zone, I will confer with our local health department and review other data sources before making a decision regarding in-person learning,” he said.
    What does a red zone designation mean for extra-curricular activities?
    “We will handle extracurricular and athletic activities if we enter the red zone in a similar fashion as to how we make decisions regarding in-person learning. We will review many data sources before making any decision and will not rely on one piece of data,” said Buerkley.
    KHSAA recommends that school districts review the state incidence map on Monday mornings and cancel extracurricular activities and regular season activities if the county is red or if they are playing in a county that is red.
    Fortunately, with the movement of the football playoff game, Pendleton County has no athletic contests scheduled this week.
    The Red Zone Reducttion recommendations are as follows:
    Employers allow employees to work from home when possible.
    Non-critical government offices to operate virtually.
    Reduce in-person shopping; order online or curbside pickup.
    Prioritize businesses that follow and enforce mask mandate and other guidelines.
    Reschedule, postpone or cancel public and private events.
    Do not host or attend gatherings of any size.
    Avoid non-essential activities outside of your home.
    Reduce overall activity and contacts, and follow existing guidance, including 10 steps to defeat Covid-19.
    Judge Executive David Fields indicated that at this time nothing is changing with how the county government offices are handling business and hours they are open to the  public, but they may revisit it mid-week.
    Butler Mayor Greg McElfresh indicated that the city offices will be closed but if somone has business and is properly masked, they will talk with them.
    Falmouth Mayor Ron Stinson indicated “At this point, we are staying open for payment as we only get one or two at a time.”
    Pendleton County Sheriff Eddie Quinn pointed out that they have a dropbox at the door for anyone that is concerned about being open. As far as office hours, they will continue to operate as normal.
    County Clerk Rita Spencer indicated she expected no changes for her office.
    Property Value Administrator John Steele said, “Unless the courthouse is closed, we will be open just ramping up our vigilance on cleaning, etc.”
    Circuit Court Clerk Mike Redden indicated that the Ky. Supreme Court released guidelines for red zone counties and it “will effect some court proceedings and maybe services,” but “Each judge will have control over their court, so I don’t know exactly how it will work.”
    He added that that they are still by appointment only but he is awaiting direction from Judge Jay Delaney.
    Christina Perkins of Three Rivers Health Department explained that the way red zone is computed is “All cases diagnosed in the seven day period is totaled and divided by seven. That amount is then divided by the total population. The final amount is multiplied by 100k.