Governor News Releases

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 31, 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.

“I’m a big believer that our world can be much better than it is right now,” the Governor said. “That’s why I do this. I think my kids deserve a better Kentucky and a better world than they’re growing up in. We have an opportunity based on coming together to defeat the crisis of the moment, to build a better Kentucky that has fewer crises now and in the future.”

Overdose Awareness Day
Today, Gov. Beshear recognized International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event held on Aug. 31 each year to bring awareness to the overdose epidemic, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind.

“Awareness is the key to survival during most medical emergencies; and that’s certainly true in the case of a drug overdose,” the Governor said. “If you find a loved one has overdosed, or even a complete stranger, knowing how to react could mean the difference between life and death.”

Those needing access to naloxone or more resources on how to respond to an overdose can find more information on the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy’s webpage.

The Governor also spoke about one overdose victim and his family’s struggle in the aftermath of his untimely death.

“As Attorney General I filed more lawsuits against opioid distributors and manufacturers than anyone else in the country. My friend Emily, who leads Fed Up in Kentucky, lost her son TJ right before he was going to deploy with our National Guard,” the Governor said. “There’s so much pain out there, and somebody may make a bad decision at the start, but by the time an overdose happens typically someone has been suffering from an addiction that we cannot treat as a bad decision. We have to treat it as the disease that it is, knowing that it is preventable, knowing that all of us can step in to either try to help an individual suffering from it, or hopefully be there with the training necessary to protect them in that worst case scenario.”

Gov. Beshear said he promised Emily he would continue to seek to provide resources to help people overcome addictions while also holding unscrupulous drug companies responsible.

Gov. Beshear noted that public health officials say that since the start of the pandemic in the U.S., they are seeing the largest number of overdose deaths since 2017.

Kentuckians struggling with substance use disorders, either themselves or within their families, can call 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to speak with a specialist about treatment options and available resources.

A live specialist will help locate everything from medication-assisted treatment to faith-based care, and walk through all the variables, such as location and cost. Callers can speak to a specialist from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT), Monday through Friday. During non-business hours, callers may leave a message and the call center staff will get back in touch with them.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 30, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“With today’s 462 new positive cases of COVID-19, this last week has been our single largest week ever for new cases of COVID: 4,503. It brings our total number of cases to date to 48,032,” the Governor said. “That means we have to do better. With this number of cases we see more people hospitalized, we see sadly more people being lost. So please wear your mask, please make good decisions. This is a time when this virus is spreading aggressively.”

Case Information
As of 3 p.m. Aug. 30, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 48,032 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 462 of which were newly reported Sunday.

Seventy-nine of the newly reported cases were from children age 18 and younger, of which 13 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest is two months old.

“We have almost 80 of today’s cases being kids 18 and under,” the Governor said. “That’s a lot of school-age kids, so please be careful.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported nine new deaths Sunday, raising the total to 930 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“That’s nine more families who are suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.

The deaths reported Sunday included an 82-year-old man from Lincoln County; a 66-year-old woman from Russell County; a 71-year-old man from Green County; an 80-year-old woman from Calloway County; an 83-year-old man from Harlan County, a 75-year-old man and an 87-year-old woman from Casey County; and an 82-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman from Fayette County.

“This being the single highest week for new cases: Do your best. We can’t be tired, we can’t give up,” Gov. Beshear said. “We have to bring it every week, because this virus is going to continue to take people we love. So, Mask Up Kentucky. Let’s beat COVID-19.”

Due to limited reporting on Sundays, some information is unavailable until Monday.

“What might be considered in Kentucky a ‘trifecta of holidays’ begins this coming Friday,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health. “Enjoy watching the fillies on Oaks Day this Friday. Watch the Kentucky Derby, the 146^th Run for the Roses, on Saturday. And, enjoy the entire Labor Day weekend. Just do it in ways that keep you and others safe. Stay Healthy at Home as much as you can. When you go out in public, please practice social distancing, wear a mask whenever you are near others, and wash your hands often. If we all do these things, we have a much better chance for safer, healthier fall and winter holidays with family and friends. These changes to our routines make an immense difference and save lives. Together, Team Kentucky can get through this.”

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.

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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 29, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“Unfortunately, today, I’m reporting the fourth-highest number of positives for COVID-19 that we’ve reported since our first case on March 6,” said Gov. Beshear. “Thankfully, our positivity rate is still below five at 4.59%.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 29, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 47,577 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 825 of which were newly reported Saturday. There were 145 newly reported cases of children age 18 and younger, with 15 being five years old or younger. Two among those age 5 and under were just eight months old.

The Governor implored Kentuckians to “please do your part, live for your fellow human being and understand that we are all connected and that your decisions truly matter.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported three new deaths Saturday, all of whom were from Lincoln County. The total of Kentuckians now lost to the virus is 921.

“That’s one county grieving three losses of its own. That’s three more families who are suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.

The deaths of the Lincoln Countians reported Saturday include an 86-year-old woman and 81-and 94-year-old men.

Even though it’s not for a few more days, “now is the time to consider how you will celebrate Oaks, Derby and Labor Day in a way that allows you to share time with others while respecting the required masking and social distancing protocols,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health.

“As you may recall, as the number of new cases was leveling off months ago, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July resulted in celebrations and mingling. A noticeable spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases followed. Then, the mask mandate went into effect and Kentuckians took extra care in social distancing and avoiding visits to other states known as ‘hot spots.’ This successfully plateaued our new weekly cases,” Dr. Stack said.

He cautioned, “If the running of the Oaks, the Kentucky Derby and Labor Day activities reflect other summer holidays, though, cases will spike again and Kentucky will have a setback to the progress we have made by working together. Please, let’s show we can learn from the other holidays. Let’s not slip and lose progress against our fight against the coronavirus.”

As of Saturday, at least 871,811 tests had been administered. The COVID-19 testing positive rate, based on a seven-day rolling average, taking into account total positive tests reported by laboratories divided by total tests reported by labs, stood at 4.59%. The number of Kentuckians who have recovered stood at 10,328.

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.

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.

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 28, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.

“We still have a whole lot of cases in Kentucky which means a number of people get sick and we lose a number of people, too,” said Gov. Beshear. “The good news is our positivity rate continues to decline. If we keep wearing these masks and we keep doing the work, we can get this to a manageable level to get our kids back in school and get back to more of our old lives.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 28, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 46,757 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 792 of which were newly reported Friday. One hundred and fourteen of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which 27 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was a 1-month-old from Green County.

“We’ve got to come together to defeat this virus,” said Gov. Beshear. “Make sure that you take a little time to take care of yourself and your family so when we have to go through some of these tough things or make tough decisions, we can react like the great people that we are.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported eight new deaths Friday, raising the total to 918 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths reported Friday include a 69-year-old woman from Barren County; a 94-year-old woman from Carroll County; an 85-year-old woman and an 86-year-old man from Christian County; a 78-year-old woman from Scott County; a 58-year-old woman from Taylor County; a 73-year-old man from Union County; and a 92-year-old man from Warren County.

“Again, it’s been a hard month. It’s going to probably be an even harder September,” said Gov. Beshear. “Make sure that you’re praying for these families.”

As of Friday, there have been at least 860,738 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 4.50%. At least 10,266 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.

Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.

Week in Review
To read more about this week’s updates, including those on requesting an absentee ballot, completing the 2020 census, the state’s travel advisory, testing sites, evictions, fall sports, price-gouging, the Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center, #MaskUpKY, PPE donations, information about COVID-19 cases in schools, expanded internet service, the P-EBT program, commutations, the Team Kentucky Fund, CDC testing guidelines, the Auburn wastewater treatment plant expansion, three new economic development projects and Rocky Adkins’ father’s recovery from COVID-19, visit governor.ky.gov/news.

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 summaries of the Governor’s news conferences at teamkentuckytranslations.com.

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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 27, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.

“I know, at this point in our battle against COVID, the weeks can be really long. What I’d ask is, keep it up. Keep wearing the masks,” said Gov. Beshear. “All the experts say it’s working, not just in general, they say it’s working here in Kentucky.”

‘Fast 4 at 4’
Gov. Beshear began today’s briefing highlighting a variety of issues of importance to Kentuckians and the commonwealth.

1. Today, Gov. Beshear announced three new economic development projects – in three different regions of the commonwealth – that will bring 258 jobs and $32.65 million in investment to Kentucky.
   
   “Even with COVID-19 and significant short-term unemployment, we are seeing long-term investments in the commonwealth that are going to create jobs long after this pandemic is over,” said Gov. Beshear. “We have a chance to emerge stronger and to make sure when we move out of COVID, we don’t crawl, we don’t walk – we run.”
    
   • Clermont Distilling Co. plans to construct a new distillery in Bullitt County. Phase I of the project will comprise a $13.4 million investment creating 22 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs, paying an average $56 per hour, including benefits. These jobs include management and operations positions.
     
     The distillery will be located right off Interstate Highway 65 at the Clermont/Bardstown exit, on 15 acres alongside Kentucky Highway 245 leading to Bardstown.
     
     “This is great news for Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry,” said Gov. Beshear. “I want to thank Lee and his team for recognizing that paying good wages strengthens families and communities.”
     
     Company leaders expect to begin construction on the distillery in spring 2021 with the potential for significant future expansion.
     
     “As a fifth generation Kentuckian, our family has deep ties to the bourbon industry through various bloodlines. This project brings us great excitement to have our new distillery joining the iconic Kentucky Bourbon industry. The land chosen for Clermont Distillery had been held by the same family for over 90 years and became available for purchase at the most perfect time,” said Clermont Distilling founder Lee Wilburn.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 24, 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’s start where we need to start – by remembering that we’re going to get through this and we’re going to get through it together,” the Governor said. “We need to make sure we’re not at a point in time, kind of like right at the beginning of the summer, where we let our guard down and we just get tired of doing what it takes, we want to go back to our normal life and this virus ultimately spikes.”

‘The Fast 4 at 4’
Gov. Beshear on Monday introduced “The Fast 4 at 4,” which will highlight a variety of issues of importance to Kentuckians and the commonwealth.

On Monday, he reminded voters they can now go to www.GoVoteKy.com to request an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 general election, if they are concerned about COVID-19 and voting.

“Voting is the bedrock principle of this democracy,” said Gov. Beshear. “The way that you are heard is to make sure you vote, and there are going to be more ways to vote now than ever before.”

The Governor asked all Kentuckians to remember to fill out the U.S. Census forms, which in addition to being mandated by the U.S. Constitution is crucial to states for funding.

He also reminded Kentuckians that the state issued a travel advisory in July that recommends people avoid visiting states with coronavirus case positivity rates of 15% or higher. Among the states currently exceeding that threshold, according to data from Johns Hopkins, are Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Nevada and Idaho. Anyone returning to Kentucky after visiting these places is asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Finally, Gov. Beshear asked Kentuckians to take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing available at sites throughout the commonwealth.

“There are testing options all over Kentucky,” the Governor said, “and there are options close to you. If you are going to engage in new activities or haven’t been tested in a while, please get tested.”

For information on more than 200 testing sites, click here.

Case Information – Monday, Aug. 24
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 24, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 43,899 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 373 of which were newly reported Monday. Sixty-eight of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which 14 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was only 7 months old.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 23, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“We remain in a plateau with our number of new cases, which is positive, but we have to see those numbers steadily decline,” Gov. Beshear said. “All of your sacrifices are working, and we must all continue to be patient and do our part to drive those numbers down.”

Case Information
As of 3 p.m. Aug. 23, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 43,529 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 467 of which were newly reported Sunday. Seventy-nine of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which 15 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was 3 days old.

“We are seeing a steady number of coronavirus cases among the young in Kentucky, and make no mistake: Youth is not a guarantee of a good outcome against this virus,” the Governor said.

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported nine new deaths Sunday, raising the total to 881 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“That’s nine more families that are suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.

The deaths reported Sunday included a 63-year-old man from Johnson County; a 63-year-old man from Shelby County; two men from Lewis County, ages 73 and 78; a 72-year-old man from Knox County; a 77-year-old woman from Oldham County; and an 88-year-old woman from Scott County. Green County lost two residents, a 90-year-old woman and a 91-year-old man.

Due to limited reporting on Sundays, some data is unavailable until Monday.

“The mask mandate, group restriction to 10 or less and other steps implemented in July have made a positive impact,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health. “Based on the number of new cases, Kentucky concludes this week at the end of a new and elevated four-week plateau.”

He noted, “While this is good news, we remain in a difficult place and Kentucky could quickly begin a rapid escalation.

“These are difficult times without simple solutions,” continued Dr. Stack. “Through their actions, local leaders have an obligation to keep the virus under control to reduce the risk of medical harm to their students, staff, and larger communities.

“Please, socially distance greater than six feet. Wear a mask at all times when in public and around others. Wash your hands often. Check for signs of infection and get tested if ill. Cooperate with contact tracing if you are called. If we do these things, we can contain the coronavirus and get back to more of the activities we miss,” urged Dr. Stack.

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.

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.