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COVID-19 roundup: Kentucky's unemployment ranks inch toward 40% amid coronavirus pandemic

Louisville Courier Journal

Kentucky's jobless picture grew bleaker Thursday as U.S. Department of Labor reports showed the Bluegrass State's workforce closing in on 40% unemployment.

"I believe that the hit our economy is taking is temporary," Gov. Andy Beshear said in his nightly briefing on the state's efforts to get through the coronavirus pandemic.

"Now, we might not be able to get back to where the economy was right before it for some period of time, but I'll tell you what, the day after that vaccine comes out, it's been proven safe and you get it, I think people will be out spending their money in lots of different ways."

The latest unemployment figures come on the heels of a Fitch Ratings report last week that showed Kentucky leading the percentage of its workforce that has submitted new jobless claims during the pandemic.

In all, 69,069 Kentuckians submitted new jobless claims for the week ending April 25, part of the approximately 3 million people who filed nationwide, according to a Labor Department report.

Due to the clampdown on the economy caused by coronavirus-related restrictions, hundreds of thousands of workers remain on the sidelines.

A little more than 742,000 people who work in Kentucky — or about 36% of the state's workforce — have submitted jobless claims in the past eight weeks.

Kentucky coronavirus updates:Follow along for the latest news

Meanwhile, Beshear announced that after being significantly behind on processing claims last month, the state has paid 88% of all March and April claims.

Since the start of the pandemic, the state's unemployment office has been under fire for not being reachable and for poor customer service — voiced by citizens mostly through social media.

By the end of March, the call center was getting about 50,000 calls a day, many of which went unanswered.

"In the future, we ought to have better customer service than we've had. We all realize that," Beshear said. "And and it's our job to do better."

Part of the problem was the "tiny number of people" initially staffing the office, he said. "This has got to be a healthy area of state government that is ready and able to step up when needed."

The remaining unprocessed 12% of claims are likely because of complications with applications, such as checking the wrong box, he said.

Meanwhile, in the midst of Kentucky's slow, phased reopening, the number of COVID-19 cases in the state are continuing to level out.

Beshear announced 199 new cases and two deaths Thursday, for a total of 7,225 cases and 328 deaths.

Read this: Woman gives birth outside hospital, and mask used to tie off cord

Travel ban being lifted

Beshear also announced he will lift the ban on Kentuckians traveling outside the state on May 22 as part of the state's reopening.

"We still need to be careful about where we travel to," Beshear said. "If you are thinking about going to the beach right now it is still very dangerous."

He is also pushing up the date to allow gatherings of 10 people or fewer to May 22. Both decisions were made with Memorial Day in mind, but Beshear said he wants people to hold gatherings outside and remain 6 feet away from one another. He also advises that people do not share utensils and that if there is less than 6 feet between people, they should wear masks.

Coronavirus rampant at Louisville girls' facility

More than two dozen people at a Louisville residential treatment facility for abused and neglected girls have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The outbreak at Maryhurst, near Dorsey Lane and Hurstbourne Parkway, includes 14 staff members and 11 residents.

Maryhurst, a private, nonprofit agency, operates the all-female facility that specializes in serving severely traumatized youths. Girls who live at Maryhurst are in foster care and were placed there by the state.

The first confirmed case at the facility, a staff member, tested positive last week, said Micah Jorrisch, vice president of external relations for Maryhurst.

Maryhurst has since worked with the state and local health departments to test residents and staff, Jorrisch said.

"We’re currently seeing (the number of confirmed cases) increase pretty quickly because of that," he said.

There are 59 girls living at Maryhurst, according to Jorrisch. All residents and staff are wearing cloth masks, he said, adding that the facility is also following public health guidance for increased hand-washing and sanitization.

As of Thursday evening, Maryhurst had administered 97 tests, which included 21 residents.

Full story:Louisville facility for abused and neglected girls experiencing outbreak

U of L to waive ACT/SAT for fall 2021

The University of Louisville announced it will waive its ACT/SAT requirement for freshmen entering college in fall 2021 because of disruptions caused by COVID-19.

U of L said in a press release that the coronavirus pandemic prompted some spring test dates to be canceled or postponed.

"The uncertainty over future testing options caused concern for high school juniors and their families," the release said. "U of L hopes to alleviate some of that anxiety by making the tests optional."

College entrance tests will still be required for some programs within the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, School of Nursing and College of Business. Most scholarships will continue to require test scores, though merit aid will be available for students without scores.

Reporter Mandy McLaren and Ben Tobin contributed to this story. Kala Kachmar is an investigative reporter. Reach her at 502-582-4469; kkachmar@courierjournal.com or @NewsQuip on Twitter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.