As the area continues to prepare for a possible outbreak of the COVID-19 or coronavirus, more businesses are making changes to cope with the situation.
At many Maysville supermarkets on Saturday, shelves were empty or nearly of some items like produce, meat, canned vegetables and dairy along with toilet tissue and cleaning supplies as customers bought more than they normally would to deal with the uncertainty of the situation.
In response to the run on many staples, both Kroger and Walmart stores said they would reduce hours to give employees time to restock shelves and clean.
Kroger will open its Maysville store at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. At Walmart, the hours will be 6 a.m. until 11 p.m.
McDonald’s of Maysville, Flemingsburg and Georgetown, Ohio, will limit service to drive-thru only beginning Monday. Owners cited area school closures and the number of working parents it employs as the reason it came to that decision. The lobby closures as temporary, officials said.
Late Sunday afternoon, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all bars and restaurants to close their doors by 9 p.m., Sunday.
All restaurants with carry-out and drive-thru options will remain open, DeWine said.
DeWine said he came to the decision after being contacted by citizens around the state sharing photos and stories of crowded bars Saturday night, despite warnings of social distancing and the governor’s edict limiting crowds to no larger than 100 people.
More than three dozen cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Ohio.
In Kentucky, the state has 18 cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday.
In Bracken County, a state of emergency was declared Sunday by Judge-Executive Tina Teegarden.
“This declaration allows emergency services to activate internal processes… for disaster emergency planning and purchasing,” a statement from Teegarden’s office indicates.
Teegarden encouraged the community to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to protect against COVID-19 and to check the Bracken County Health Department’s website at brackenhd.org for updates.
Bracken County Magistrate Craig Miller said although no cases of the virus have been found in Bracken County to date, the county is acting proactively than re-actively in making the declaration.
Mason County Judge-Executive Joe Pfeffer said Mason County will likely follow suit on Monday.
Also in Bracken County, one resident is working to unleash the power of the county’s residents through a Facebook page that matches needs with resources.
Jeanna Jefferson started the Bracken County Support page on Friday and by Sunday it had more than 500 members.
“The people of this county are amazing,” Jefferson said when the group crossed the 500 member threshold.
The page hopes to link those in need of help with food or medicines with those who are willing to step into the void and offer that help.
The page can be found by searching Bracken County Support, by calling 606-747-5795 or by email at [email protected].
