FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear (D) says he’s worried about the continued spread of COVID-19.
What You Need To Know
- Beshear, Dr. Stack want to learn from other states' return to school
- Beshear says it's too dangerous to send kids back to school right now, singles out Warren County
- Warren County has 10 percent positivity rate
- Warren County school district meets Monday to discuss reopening plans
“So please know that this thing is spreading, it’s spreading significantly, and it’s spreading significantly amongst our young people,” Beshear said.
Kentucky isn’t the only state seeing a surge in cases, but Beshear wants to delay in-person classes until Sept. 28— a move other states declined to make, and some have closed school due to outbreaks.
Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said he wants to learn from the mistakes those states made.
“We will learn lessons from these other places that have done this earlier than us,” Stack said. “We will be able to help refine our guidance and our recommendations in the commonwealth, and we’ll be able to give good guidance to the students, to the teachers, to the parents and try to do this as safely as we possibly can.”
Beshear singled out Warren County, which has one of the highest positivity rates in the state, according to the White House, at 10 percent.
He said six school-age kids tested positive for the coronavirus in the county Thursday, and 86 kids 18-and-under tested positive over the last three weeks.
“Right now, it’s just too dangerous,” Beshear said. “I want our kids to be in school. I believe in public education, I’m a product of it. I want our kids to be in school, but I’m not going to experiment with our kids.”
The Warren County school district plans to meet Monday to discuss reopening plans while the Bowling Green Independent School District meets Friday afternoon.