FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases in a day Thursday with 4,324. Despite that, Gov. Andy Beshear plans to ease restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms, and other public indoor venues Monday.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky reported a record-high 4,324 new coronavirus cases Thursday
- Restrictions on bars, restaurants, and gyms will still be lifted on Monday
- Bars and restaurants may operate at 50% indoor capacity, maintain mask mandates
- Beshear ensured more guidance next week on reopening schools
Beshear said the seven-day positivity rate has been on a consistent decline the past week— 9.13% as of Thursday’s report — so he’s confident cases will plateau.
“Remember, we gotta plateau before we can decrease,” Beshear said. “When we talk about COVID being a fast moving train, it doesn’t just immediately turn; you gotta slow it down, stop it, and turn it around.”
Kentucky is on pace to record 800 fewer cases of the coronavirus this week compared to last week, according to Beshear.
Starting Monday, bars, restaurants, gyms, and other public venues will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity indoors.
Bars and restaurants will have a curfew requiring them to stop serving customers at 11 p.m. so they can close by midnight.
Beshear said the key thing to keeping cases down is the mask mandate, and he said businesses need to make sure everyone keeps their mask on unless they’re actively eating or drinking.
“It’s the difference of stopping the spread of this virus and continuing the spread. And it’s the best way that we’ll be able to stay at those capacity restrictions that we’re going back to,” Beshear said.
The governor said that means businesses have to turn away customers who refuse to wear masks.
“I know that might not be the best thing for business, but COVID spreading and potentially killing people in your business both isn’t right and it certainly isn’t good for business, either.”
Gym patrons will be required to wear a mask at all times unless they’re swimming, which is the only change from the rules in place before the latest restrictions.
All but one of Kentucky’s 120 counties were in the red zone for new cases in Thursday’s report, meaning they had an incidence rate of more than 25 cases per 100,000 people. According to Beshear’s restrictions on schools, that means elementary schools in every county except Menifee have to go virtual next week.
Beshear said he’ll have more guidance next week for when high schools and middle schools reopen Jan. 4.