By Jacqueline Pitts, The Bottom Line
Kentucky is broadening workers’ compensation payments to Kentuckians who, because of the nature of their employment, are at higher risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Thursday to expand this access to those working on the front lines against COVID-19.
La Tasha Buckner, Beshear’s general counsel and chief of staff, said the executive order allows for temporary total disability payments for grocery store workers, employees of a healthcare entity, first responders (law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire department), corrections officers, military, activated National Guard, domestic violence shelter workers, child advocacy workers, rape crisis center staff, Department for Community Based Services workers, postal service workers, and child care workers that are still providing care for certain groups allowed by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The benefits would be available to an individual working in one of these positions that has been removed from work by a physician due to occupational exposure to COVD-19.
“If you’re in these categories and your healthcare professional says you’ve got to be quarantined, you’re not actually sick necessarily but you’ve had exposure, you’re going to get access to these benefits,” Buckner said.
A percentage of the individual’s normal pay would be awarded to individuals during the mandated quarantine.
Learn more about other executive orders Beshear has put out to deal with the coronavirus here:
Kentuckians to not travel outside the state unless absolutely necessary
Closure of all non-life-sustaining businesses as Kentucky reaches 163 positive COVID-19 cases
Clothing, entertainment, sporting good and other non-essential retail closed
Gyms, nail and hair salons, theaters, spas, and other facilities required to close
Medicaid expanded to those losing their jobs due to coronavirus
State measures enacted to flatten the curve
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