117 new Kentucky COVID-19 cases and two deaths. Virus confirmed in all 120 counties.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 117 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Monday, edging the statewide up to at least 15,347 as bars around the commonwealth reopen.
Two more people with the coronavirus have died, putting the statewide death toll at 560. They were a 67-year-old woman and an 83-year-old man, both from Jefferson County.
At least 3,939 people have recovered from the virus and 394,773 tests have been administered.
Beshear noted that one new case is from Robertson County, which means all 120 of Kentucky’s counties have had at least one positive case of COVID-19.
“This confirms what we’ve been saying for weeks: This disease is everywhere and because of that we need all Kentuckians to practice social distancing and wear masks to keep each other safe,” Beshear said in a news release. “While we might see fewer cases in some areas right now, we know cases can spike quickly if we’re not careful.”
Bars across Kentucky were given permission to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Monday and groups of up to 50 people could gather for the first time since early March. The move came as other states, including California, Florida and Texas, where new infection rates are soaring, backpedaled and shut their bars down. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott attributed his state’s dramatic case spike to specific activities, “including Texans congregating in bars.”
In Kentucky, Beshear’s Healthy At Work requirements still apply at bars, where patrons and staff are asked to practice six feet of social distancing, staff are required to wear masks, frequently wash their hands, and keep their establishments sanitized and well-ventilated. The requirements also give individual bars the prerogative to choose not to serve patrons if they “don’t adhere to the business’s policy on requiring masks while in common areas,” the guidance reads, “in order to protect their employees and other customers.”
Some Kentucky bars are choosing not to reopen even though they can. Break Room at Pepper, a pub in Lexington, said in a Saturday social media post that it would hold out.
“We are super anxious to see your face and get back to having a good time, but we feel to reopen at this time is not the most responsible decision,” the bar’s representatives said on Facebook. “The health and safety of our staff and you all is our #1 concern.”
Public pools were also given the go ahead to reopen on Monday, as were larger venues such as concert halls and convention centers. Youth sports are also allowed to compete, but the number of spectators at one event is limited to 50.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 5:09 PM.
