373 new KY COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths. 50 cases at schools and 223 at universities.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 373 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Monday, putting the case total at 43,899, and four new deaths.
As he often does on Mondays, Beshear noted the number of new cases tends to be artificially low early in the week. The same goes for new virus-related deaths. “I don’t want to give anybody a false [sense of] security, because we are seeing significant losses during this month,” he said. Last week, 68 coronavirus deaths were reported across Kentucky — the most in a single week so far.
The rate of people testing positive is at 4.77 percent.
The state began tracking school-related positive cases last week, as some districts started returning to in-person instruction. Beshear said there are at least 50 active cases in K-12 school systems and 223 active cases at colleges and universities. Similar to how cases are reported at nursing homes, a list of schools and their tally of positives will eventually be posted to the state’s website, kycovid19.ky.gov.
To support many renters facing imminent eviction and landlords cash-strapped from missed rent payments, the governor signed an executive order Monday setting up a $15 million Health At Home eviction fund to support both tenants and landlords. The order requires landlords to give tenants 30 days notice before a tenant is evicted and it bars landlords from charging tenants late fees or penalties between March 6, when the first coronavirus case was diagnosed, and December 31.
Beshear said he wants to “make sure that we don’t have a lot of Kentuckians emerging from this crisis with a ton of debt that they cannot climb out of.”
The $15 million in CARES Act funding will help reimburse eligible landlords for missed rent payments. Landlords and renters can apply for the program starting on Sept. 8.
Last week, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association board voted to allow teams to begin practice this week and competition the week of Sept. 7. On Monday, Beshear said he wouldn’t overturn that decision.
“It’s not because I think it is a good decision or a wise decision, but if we’re going to defeat this virus, we need people other than me all over Kentucky taking responsibility to make good and wise decisions,” said Beshear, who added that he was particularly concerned about “high-contact sports” resuming practice.
Rather than decide for them, Beshear placed the onus on coaches, local board members, teachers and parents to keep student athletes safe, and to be transparent when athletes do show symptoms or test positive.
“What will be required moving forward is absolute and full transparency,” he said. Even if a big game’s coming up, “no trying to hide positives. Everybody has to work with their local health departments.”
Anticipating pushback from the governor, more than a hundred student athletes and parents gathered on the steps of the Capitol for a “Let Them Play” rally to protest any delays to their sport seasons.
Protesters argued athletes can play while taking necessary precautions to protect against the virus. But this tack is already proving dicey at some schools that chose to open classrooms early, despite the cited risks. Multiple schools have already suspended in-person classes after less than a week because students and staff contracted the virus.
Earlier on Monday, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 156 new cases in the state’s second largest city, where the total case count has now surpassed 5,000. That includes 449 University of Kentucky students, 363 jail or prison inmates, and 216 nursing home residents. At least 53 people with the virus have died, 380 have been hospitalized, and 4,080 have recovered.
Ten more staff at Kentucky child care centers have contracted the virus, as have three kids. In nursing and assisted living homes, four more residents and four more staff have tested positive.
Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center in Hazard reported an outbreak among its residents and staff last week. Nine residents who live in the same hallway and one staff person have tested positive. All nine veterans were sent to a nearby hospital out of an abundance of caution, Beshear said. The entire facility will be tested by the end of the day Wednesday.
There are currently 564 people across Kentucky hospitalized with the virus, 149 in intensive care and 82 on ventilators. At least 822,904 tests have been administered.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 4:46 PM.
