Since there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Pike County, officials and medical professionals are hoping to keep it that way.

Judge Executive Ray Jones hosted a news conference Thursday with representatives from Pikeville Medical Center and the Pike County Health Department, stressing the importance of social distancing as the virus continues to spread across the commonwealth.

Jones said staying close to home and avoiding crossing county lines is a good practice for now. He also said he is confident that food and hygiene supplies are not going to be an issue, so people should not bulk buy these items or price gauging.

Jones said the solid waste department will also see some changes soon since the inmate work release program can not operate, adding that more information will be available in the coming days. However, he said, no more executive orders are being issued by the county at this time.

“We don’t know. If this gets in our community, it could be catastrophic,” Jones said.

“We don’t want that to happen. That’s why we’re continuing to do these briefings. And we encourage everyone to continue to listen to what Gov. Beshear says and what we’re hearing from the president.”

Tammy Morris Riley, Director of Public Health for the Pike County Health Department, said the department is receiving updates on an almost hourly basis.

As the virus spreads closer to Eastern Kentucky, Riley said there are ways to combat the spread.

“Although we don’t have mass testing, as we would like and Dr. Fadi would like … there are actions that we can take today,” Riley said. “We need to practice our civil duty. We need to practice social responsibility. Be good citizens. Because, for the first time, my actions affect the community.”

She encouraged social distancing and practicing good hygiene.

Dr. Fadi Al Ahkrass, Infectious Disease Specialist at PMC, agreed with Riley. He said the battle against the virus has begun, and though there are no positive tests reported in the county he is confident that the hospital is prepared for the virus. Testing, he said, is on an as-needed basis.

“I know people are freaked out about testing. This is not the solution. The solution is to practice the preventative measures,” he said. “If you have no symptoms and you have nothing and no exposure the rest is gonna be minimum.”

He said discussing possible symptoms with your doctor is important.

“From PMC’s standpoint, we’re definitely prepared,” said Dr. Ahkrass. “I wish it’s not going to happen here. But let’s be prepared for that. And I think we’re prepared, at this point, to be able to manage these problems here in this area.”

He said every test from PMC has been negative and he has not seen a confirmed case. These tests, he said, go through commercial labs and have a two to five day waiting period for results.

He said dedicated teams have been working on an algorithm for screening, triage and placement as they work to keep patients and healthcare workers safe.

“Believe me, this is not an easy process and we’re trying to do that very diligently and seriously,” he said.

Riley said there are a lot of factors to consider when trying to assess how long this will continue. She estimates more than six weeks, but she said keeping the “Five Cs” in mind and working to be proactive is the best way to see an end.

“The sooner and more aggressive we take the actions, the better the outcomes and the sooner we get it behind us,” she said. “We all would agree we want it over as soon as possible.”