FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Governor Beshear says he hopes for a quick recovery for President Trump following his COVID-19 diagnosis, but he believes the president could set a better example for Americans.
At his briefing Monday, Governor Beshear said the president had set a good example by disclosing his diagnosis and seeking medical care for COVID-19. Still, the governor said the president set a bad example by leaving the hospital Sunday to wave to supporters from a vehicle.
"He violated quarantine or isolation; you can't do that," Beshear said. "I remember the day that I was showing what I thought were symptoms to COVID. I can tell you that those that are tasked with my security and my family's security; I didn't want them twenty feet from me."
The governor also responded to a tweet sent by the president, where he wrote, "Don't be afraid of Covid."
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
"We need to have a healthy fear of a pandemic that's killed 1,200 Kentuckians, 200,000 plus Americans," Beshear said. "That's more than we lost in multiple wars. We have to have a healthy fear of a virus, and if we don't, other people pay the price."
The governor stressed the need to wear masks and follow other social distancing guidelines as Kentucky continues to see an escalation in COVID-19 cases.
