Beshear mandates masks statewide. 333 new Kentucky coronavirus cases and 4 deaths.
The wearing of masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 will be mandatory at 5 p.m. Friday in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday after noting the state’s new number of infections has lifted out of its plateau and is on the rise.
The governor announced 333 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing the statewide total to at least 18,245. Four more people with the virus have died, bringing the death toll to 612.
“Folks, we are still in a battle, and it is not going away,” the governor said. “We have a dangerous and deadly virus out there, and we are now seeing a regular increase in cases in Kentucky.”
“It’s no longer a question: a mask helps to stop the spread,” he said. Wearing a facial covering “is no longer voluntary. It’s mandatory. It’s time to get serious.”
Beshear’s executive order mandating masks in most public places, and public-facing businesses will last at least 30 days but can be renewed. The order exempts those with a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask and children age 5 and under.
Those businesses include retail facilities, grocery stores, pharmacies, nail and hair salons, tattoo parlors, child care centers, schools, restaurants, bars, and any indoor space where people can’t be six feet apart. It applies outdoors, too, Beshear said: “Outside, if you can’t get six feet away from an individual, you must wear a mask.”
The order also applies to all drivers and passengers in public transportation or ride-sharing vehicle. People who are actively consuming food or swimming don’t have to wear masks, and neither does anyone exercising, as long as they’re six feet away from others.
By not mandating masks at the state level, Kentucky would face an economic loss of close to $10 billion, according to Goldman Sachs economic analysis referenced in Beshear’s executive order.
To those who oppose his executive order, Beshear said, “A decision to not wear a mask, you can think there’s some liberty component, but any of that ends when you put the health and safety of someone else at risk.”
The governor’s order allows businesses to bar any patrons who aren’t following the rules. “Should restaurants bar people from coming in if they refuse to wear a mask? Yes,” he said. “No mask, no service.”
Beshear said whether Kentucky has to re-shutter businesses will hinge on residents’ willingness to follow the order. “We won’t have to shut everything down as long as we wear a facial covering,” he said. “It’s all going to come down to whether we are willing to do it.”
Local health departments will help enforce this mandate. People or businesses who willfully violate the order will first get a warning. “If there is chronic refusal, it could lead to a fine,” particularly for businesses who don’t enforce the mandate among employees. Continued refusal by a business could lead to a “shutdown.”
“Folks, wear a mask. It’s not a drill,” Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said. “This is the biggest infectious public health threat that our species has faced in over a century. All we’re asking you to do is a simple act of kindness.”
Up until now, Beshear and Dr. Stack have strongly recommended that Kentuckians wear masks, but they haven’t been required. Governors in more than 20 states have in recent weeks have also mandated that masks be worn in public, including in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and New York.
Testing urged
In addition to wearing masks, Beshear and Stack strongly urged Kentuckians to get tested for the virus. To make that process even easier, Stack and Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander signed an order on Thursday that allows any Kentuckian to get a nasal swab test without a doctor’s order, and clarifies that getting a test doesn’t count as a doctor’s visit, nor is a doctor’s order required in order for insurance companies to cover the cost of the test.
Kroger will operate free drive-thru testing sites next week in Lexington, Louisville and Independence, Beshear said, adding that anyone, including children, who has been interacting with people outside of their household should get tested. That includes those returning from travel in other states.
He warned Kentuckians against visiting known virus hot spots: “If you’re going to a Florida beach where you know they’re reporting almost 10,000 case a day, you’re likely to bring [COVID-19] back, and you’re going to hurt your community.”
Since Wednesday, there are 41 new cases of COVID-19 among nursing home residents, 18 cases among staff and one new death. In total, 2,072 residents and 1,033 staff have contracted the virus and 397 have died.
Currently there are 457 people hospitalized with the virus and 105 in intensive care. Kentucky has 40 percent occupancy available in its hospital beds, about a quarter of available occupancy in ICU beds, and a little more than three-quarters of the state’s supply of ventilators are available.
At least 461,756 tests have been administered — an increase of more than 10,000 from Wednesday — and 4,939 people have recovered.
Road Fund shortfall much smaller than predicted
In positive economic news, Beshear said the projected shortfall in the state’s Road Fund for the fiscal year that ended June 30 was $100 million less than expected. Economists had predicted a shortfall of $161.8 million after the pandemic started, but it was only $59.9 million.
That means many paving projects that were put on hold can now restart, Beshear said.
The governor also said about 100 staff in the state unemployment office, with the help of more than 200 employees from Ernst & Young, whom the state contracted this month to help process thousands of still outstanding unemployment insurance claims, are making headway and are on track to complete processing the back log by the end of July.
“It’s taken everybody a little time to get all the tools they need and up to speed, but I believe each [Ernst & Young employee] is doing at least 15 calls a day as they’re ramping up,” Beshear said. “You can see how quickly that’s going to add up.”
The state will be offering in-person help to residents needing to process unemployment claims next week, Monday through Wednesday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington; Tuesday through Thursday at Big Sandy Community & Technical College in Prestonsburg; and Monday through Friday at the Mayo-Underwood Building in Frankfort.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 4:48 PM.
