Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is calling for Kentucky schools to remain closed to in-person instruction until September 28.
Beshear previously called for no in-person instruction until the third week of August, but he cited concerns over the commonwealth’s COVID-19 positivity rate and case count in moving that recommendation back to next month. The announcement comes after the Kentucky Education Association last week called for no face-to-face classes until the positivity rate falls below 4%.
The recommendation does not apply to Kentucky’s colleges and universities, the governor clarified. He said higher education institutions operate under different metrics due to their residential component.
Beshear said he expects some pushback over the announcement, but said canceling in-person classes is the right call.
“I believe it’s the right recommendation. Everybody won’t agree with it, but my job here is to make the tough calls and it’s to move any type of politics out of it and just try to make the right call both as governor and a dad,” Beshear explained.
Beshear’s COVID-19 briefing included an update on Kentucky’s budget situation, with revenues far outpacing expectations from state leaders. Beshear said the general fund is up 7% compared to last year, with road fund receipts increased 7.2% compared to 2019 totals.
The state reported 275 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the statewide total to 35,252. The numbers are “artificially low” due to a technical error on the part of the state’s computer service provider. Beshear said numbers this week will likely be lower than reality, and he will update totals once all new case data has been received.
Two Kentuckians died as a result of the coronavirus Monday, including a 60-year-old woman from Graves County.
Find more information concerning Kentucky’s response to COVID-19 here.
