After Kentucky’s largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases Sunday, July 19, Governor Andy Beshear is announcing new actions to reduce the spread of the virus throughout the commonwealth.
Beshear said the two most prominent causes of new virus clusters in Kentucky are vacation travel and gatherings without social distancing. To combat the former, the state government will recommend travelers to states with virus positivity rates of at least 15% self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return. The travel advisory includes Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and other states.
To fight virus transmission stemming from non-socially distant gatherings, Beshear rescinded previous guidance allowing groups of 50 or less to gather. The limit will be lowered to 10, alongside required compliance with facial covering and social distancing guidelines. The order does not apply to businesses, venues and outdoor weddings. Beshear said those facilities may continue with current guidance applicable to their respective sectors.
“I need to see us start turning this tide around or we’ll have to look at recommendations for school because we can’t have our children and our teachers going into really difficult situations,” Beshear said.
Beshear confirmed 258 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the statewide overall total to 23,414. He attributed the lower number to testing centers being closed on Sunday. The number of Kentuckians who have recovered from COVID-19 is now 6,876.
Beshear said ICU and hospital capacity is not yet an issue, but upward-trending hospitalizations could quickly jeopardize that stability. Hospitalizations have increased to 542, with 114 Kentuckians fighting the virus in intensive care units. Beshear said hospitals throughout the commonwealth have compiled surge plans that could increase bed capacity if the situation becomes dire. He said the COVID-19 field hospital at the Kentucky State Fair grounds in Louisville can be activated within a week if necessary, and state parks could be utilized as field hospitals as well.
One Kentuckians died as a result of COVID-19 Monday, a 94-year-old woman from Casey County.
Aside from coronavirus updates at his June 20 media briefing, Beshear became emotional as he discussed briefly attending his son’s scheduled baseball game Sunday. He said he pulled his son, Will, from the game after seeing lax social distancing and low compliance with the mask requirement. Beshear said he later spoke with the tournament director to express his concerns.
"I looked around and I said, 'This isn’t safe for my kid,'" Beshear said. "My kid was supposed to pitch. He loves baseball and I had to look at him and say, 'In my opinion, this isn’t safe.' We got back in the car and left."
Beshear said individuals have recently been taking pictures of his son at baseball competitions and posting them online. He said the perpetrators are seeking to intimidate the first family, but he said he won’t back down.
“I am not gonna be bullied by you,” Beshear said to those targeting his family. “We’re doing the right thing to protect people’s lives.”
More information concerning Kentucky’s response to the coronavirus pandemic may be found here.
