Governor News Releases

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.

“Let me start by reiterating that we are still in a very difficult, dangerous place with a virus that is spreading so significantly right now,” the Governor said. “One of the foremost experts this morning talked about it raging in the United States. I believe we have stopped the exponential growth, but we can’t just stay where we are. We have got to start decreasing our cases.”

School Opening Guidance
Gov. Beshear and administration officials, in consultation with Kentucky teachers and school administrators, on Monday announced new guidance for schools that are planning for the fall semester.

“Our recommendation today is that schools wait to begin in-person classes until Sept. 28,” the Governor said. “Yes, that’s six weeks from now, but it’s also six weeks from what I hope is the peak of this virus, six weeks from the last three weeks where we have been at an all-time high week in and week out, six weeks from a time when we just had a 6% positivity rate. Let’s face it, we’re trying really hard and we’ve taken good steps. Masks are working. But we do not have control over this virus. And to send tens of thousands of our kids back into in-person classes when we don’t have control of this virus, it’s not the right thing to do for these kids, it’s not the right thing to do for their faculty and it’s not the right thing to do as Governor.”

He said the decision was driven by four factors: Kentucky’s cases being near a peak, an increase in infection rates among children across the U.S., the experience of school districts in other states and families continuing to travel to hotspots for vacations against the advice of health officials.

“I think what all of the health care specialists said when we talked about reopening, is we need to be looking at a decline. In other words, we need to get our positive rate down,” the Governor said. “On top of that, what we’re seeing are more outbreaks and more infections in kids. The two hardest things I do every day is read the deaths and the number of kids infected under 5. And it’s not just kids under 5. We’re having record numbers of children that are infected, and it shows this infection spreads to them when we still don’t know the long-term impact. What we do know is children have a harder time social distancing. And we can’t put a whole bunch of them in a classroom with a teacher right now. Other states that have tried to open this new school year are now having to close. We don’t want to start and stop. That may be more difficult on our children.”

Restaurants and Bars Update
La Tasha Buckner, the Governor’s chief of staff and general counsel, offered an update on bars and restaurants operating in the commonwealth.

“Today we are issuing a new order, effective tomorrow, which will allow bars to reopen and restaurants to increase their capacity,” Buckner said. “Both bars and restaurants can operate at 50% of capacity, as long as people can remain six feet from anyone who is not in their household or group.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 9, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“Some good news and some bad news in today’s COVID-19 report,” the Governor said. “In good news, we’re ending the week with about 330 fewer cases than we had last week. That’s directly attributable to people wearing their facial coverings or masks. Please keep it up, wear them even more, especially when you’re inside. On the bad side, our positivity rate, which won’t be official until tomorrow for this week, will be higher meaning that the virus continues to spread aggressively.”

Case Information
As of 3 p.m. Aug. 9, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 34,982 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 425 of which were newly reported Sunday. Nine of the newly reported cases were from children age 5 and younger.

“We’ve got a number of counties that have 10 or more new cases – Jefferson, Fayette, Pulaski, Taylor, Hardin, Madison, Casey, Warren and Wayne – and a number that are really close there. So remember no matter where you are in the commonwealth, COVID-19 is spreading,” the Governor said. “Nine new kids under 5 have tested positive, so again let’s make sure we’re protecting each other.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported one new death Sunday, raising the total to 773 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“That’s yet another family that is suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.

The death reported Sunday was a 71-year-old man from Pulaski County.

Due to limited reporting on Sundays, some statistics are unavailable until Monday.

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said: “Last week, we saw rising case counts of COVID-19 in all but five Kentucky counties. COVID-19 is still out there and it’s still a threat. We are encouraged, though, by the many Kentuckians taking this seriously and taking steps to keep themselves and others safer, including wearing a mask.”

Dr. Stack added: “More Kentuckians will get COVID-19 resulting in more hospitalizations and deaths, but we know what to do right now to mitigate the risk. Every time we take steps, such as wearing masks and social distancing, it impacts how many Kentuckians will test positive, how many businesses, schools and other places where we gather can remain open, and how many Kentuckians will get hurt.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 8, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“Today is a tough day in our fight against COVID-19,” said Gov. Beshear. “I know we are slowing the growth of this virus in Kentucky, but it’s still aggressive. We simply need to do better.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 8, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 34,578 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 801 of which were newly reported Saturday. Twenty-nine of the newly reported cases were from children age 5 and younger.

“Our positivity rate is the highest we’ve had since we tested the entire Green River Correctional Facility back in May,” said Gov. Beshear.

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported eight new deaths Saturday, raising the total to 772 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“Folks, we need your help. This is the time where we need to buckle down and do what it takes to get this virus under control. Please stay safe and take this seriously,” said Gov. Beshear.

The deaths reported Saturday include a 64-year-old woman from Fulton County; a 56-year-old woman from Kenton County; a 68-year-old man from Bell County; a 93-year-old man from Christian County; a 97-year-old woman, also from Christian County; a 66-year-old woman from Pulaski County; an 82-year-old woman from Clinton County, and a 73-year-old woman from Muhlenberg County.

COVID-19 has hit us hard, “but we are not powerless,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health. “We have shown repeatedly that our individual actions will determine our future. Will you continue to wear a face covering? Are you keeping at least six feet distance between yourself and others? Are you washing your hands frequently? And, if you receive a call from a contact tracer, will you answer? If each of us answers ‘Yes!’ through our actions, we can keep Kentuckians safe and keep Kentucky open. Together, Team Kentucky can contain the coronavirus.”

As of Saturday, there have been at least 690,942 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 6.02%. At least 8,647 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.

For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday updated Kentuckians on the continued fight against the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.

Yesterday, the Governor extended the state’s mandate requiring face coverings in some situations for another 30 days, citing its success and continued importance in flattening the curve of Kentucky’s COVID-19 cases.

“I hope you are staying safe and have planned a weekend that will help you enjoy but also do what it takes to defeat COVID-19,” said Gov. Beshear. “Our positivity rate is up to 5.57%, and what it suggests is that we are still in a very dangerous place where this virus could easily get out of control.”

On Monday, the Governor is expected to have additional guidance for Kentucky’s bars and restaurants.

“Expectations ought to be that capacity will increase again to 50%, but there will be some changes. Especially in restaurants, we need people to still prioritize outdoor seating,” said Gov. Beshear yesterday. “Bars and restaurants are both going to be expected to have their last item served at 10 p.m. Then there is going to be an hour to let people eat and drink and ultimately go home.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 7, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 33,796 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 573 of which were newly reported Friday. Twenty-one of the newly reported cases were children age 5 and younger.

“We all ought to do our part for these kids and all of our kids,” said Gov. Beshear.

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported four new deaths Friday, raising the total to 764 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths reported Friday include a 62-year-old woman from Graves County; a 73-year-old woman from Jefferson County; a 91-year-old man from Laurel County; and a 53-year-old man from Pulaski County.

“We are in a place right now where this virus is spreading too much,” said Gov. Beshear. “Let’s beat COVID-19 so we don’t lose even more beloved Kentuckians.”

As of Friday, there have been at least 684,356 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 5.57%. At least 8,589 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.

For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here. To see all recent daily reports, click here.

Visit the Governor’s Facebook page to watch today’s news conference

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 6, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday extended the state’s mandate requiring face coverings in some situations for another 30 days, citing its success and continued importance in flattening the curve of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the commonwealth.

“By now, we all know someone that we care about, that we’re close to who is fighting this virus or has fought this virus. And as things progress, we will all probably know somebody who we have lost to this virus. This is going to be a month where I hope we turn things around, but based on July, we’re still going to see a lot of pain,” said Gov. Beshear. “So let’s make sure that we protect our mental and emotional health, stay as committed as we’ve always been to defeating this virus and step it up.”

The Governor also noted that on Monday, he will have additional guidance for Kentucky’s bars and restaurants.

“Expectations ought to be that capacity will increase again to 50% but there will be some changes. Especially in restaurants, we need people to still prioritize outdoor seating,” said Gov. Beshear. “Bars and restaurants are both going to be expected to have their last item served at 10 p.m. Then there is going to be an hour to let people eat and drink and ultimately go home.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 6, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 33,254 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 516 of which were newly reported Thursday. Twelve of the newly reported cases were from children ages 5 and younger.

“We appear to not just be slowing, but we hope stopping any escalation that we’ve seen. It’s further evidence that wearing that facial covering is truly helping Kentucky in so many different ways – our people, our economy, our kids,” said Gov. Beshear. “So let’s keep it up. I believe that if we continue to do this, we can see even better numbers than what we have now.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported eight new deaths Thursday, raising the total to 760 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths reported Thursday include a 68-year-old woman from Bell County; an 86-year-old woman from Fayette County; a 94-year-old woman and a 94-year-old man from Franklin County; an 87-year-old man from Graves County; a 78-year-old woman from Jefferson County; a 68-year-old woman from Kenton County; and an 84-year-old woman from Ohio County.

“We’ve had major wars that we’ve gone through, at least in the last 40 years, where we’ve lost fewer Kentuckians than those who we’re going to lose to Covid-19,” said Gov. Beshear. “So let’s remember that just because we don’t see numbers like New York had or Florida is going to experience, that doesn’t mean this isn’t hitting Kentucky really hard.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 2, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“We’ve made it to August, and while I know we all hoped months ago when this pandemic first arrived in Kentucky that we’d be closer to a decisive victory, we remain at war with the coronavirus,” the Governor said. “We need everyone in this fight, to save lives, to save our economy and to help get our kids back in school. I know we have what it takes and that we’ll do what it takes, because we care about one another.”

Case Information
As of 1 p.m. Aug. 2, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 31,185 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 463 of which were newly reported Sunday. Eleven of the newly reported cases were from children age 5 and younger.

“We appear to be seeing what we all hope is a plateau in the alarming growth of coronavirus cases in the commonwealth,” the Governor said. “It shows that wearing a mask, social distancing and not traveling to virus hot spots is working. We need to see this trend continue to avoid having to make more hard choices and sacrifices.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported two new deaths Sunday, raising the total to 742 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths reported Sunday include a 56-year-old man from Oldham County and a 70-year-old woman from Muhlenberg County.

“This is a pivotal time for Kentuckians. Tomorrow, we begin a new week in a new month, a month in which we will implement Healthy At School guidelines as students and teachers return to classrooms,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner for the Department for Public Health.

“I’m cautiously optimistic we have blunted our steep COVID-19 escalation with the mask requirement, restriction of gatherings to 10 or fewer people, bar closings and restaurant capacity restrictions. This is a prolonged challenge, though,” Dr. Stack said.

“As we continue to fight COVID-19 with personal choices that include responsible decisions about travel, crowd sizes, thorough and frequent hand-washing and wearing face masks, there’s still a need to keep other public health considerations in mind, conditions that don’t care that there’s a global pandemic going on.”

For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.

More Information
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor’s news conference at teamkentuckytranslations.com.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 1, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

Case Information
As of  4 p.m. Aug. 1, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 30,723 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 572 of which were newly reported Saturday. Eleven of the newly reported cases were from children age 3 and younger.

“Our positivity rate is again lower today than it was yesterday. Facial coverings work. They are our best chance of saving lives and protecting the health of our people, ensuring our economy can stay open, and getting our kids back in school,” said Gov. Beshear.

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported 5 new deaths Saturday, raising the total to 740 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“That’s five families that are going to be suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.

The deaths reported Saturday include 55-, 61- and 67-year-old men from Oldham County, an 81-year-old man from Jefferson County, and an 84-year-old woman from Simpson County.

“We’re nearly five months into this global pandemic reaching Kentucky, but the last few weeks we saw a big growth in the number of positive COVID-19 cases,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health. “This past week, Gov. Beshear reminded us that if we have plans to travel to a state where the rate of positive cases is 15% or higher, we need to change these plans. If someone travels to one those states anyway, then when they return to Kentucky they should self-quarantine for 14 days.”

Kentuckians who remain in-state can’t let down their guard either, Dr. Stack said.

“Gatherings should be limited to 10 or fewer guests, especially informal ones going on in backyards, parks, lakes and similar settings,” he said.

“The commonly more personal, informal social behavior in these situations is a big risk. If you and your guests are not keeping at least a six-foot social distance and if you’re not wearing masks, this spreads the disease. It places the people you care about most at risk and it endangers others if they spread the disease throughout the community.”

He cautioned saying, “I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but a big part of this is about the decisions made and behaviors practiced by every one of us as individuals. Public gatherings and social activities can be tinderboxes for COVID-19 transmission. Until we get a vaccine or cure to neutralize this threat, we all must continue practicing social distancing and wearing masks.”