FRANKFORT, Ky. — It's no secret Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has been opposed to most coronavirus restrictions, especially those in his home state.
His latest tweet pushes Gov. Andy Beshear – a man Paul says is “drunk on power” – to reopen, citing a few states that have eased restrictions.
He isn’t the only Kentucky Republican pushing Beshear.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron also tweeted about the New York City reopening date, saying Kentucky needs to do the same.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles has been meeting with restaurant groups the past few weeks, pushing for fewer restrictions on them.
So where do COVID regulations stand in Kentucky?
Beshear recently announced masks aren’t required for outdoor events with fewer than 1,000 people. They’re still required everywhere else, though.
Most businesses are allowed to have 60 percent capacity, including bars and restaurants, but there’s still a midnight curfew to stop serving patrons and other restrictions, like 6 feet of social distancing and sanitary measures.
Beshear has a reopening plan, it’s just based on the number of vaccinations instead of setting specific dates.
He wants 2.5 million Kentuckians to get their shots before removing restrictions, although some comments he made earlier this week during a tour of UPS Worldport indicate he may be flexible on that.
“Just like this virus has made us change plans at different times, we’re going to make sure we’re looking at the science,” Beshear said.
Beshear’s approach is similar to that of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who plans on removing many restrictions when the state hits a 70 percent vaccination rate.
The two appeared in a PSA, released Friday, along with several other governors to encourage getting vaccinated.
“The safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective way to keep you and your family safe and to help us get back to normal sooner,” Beshear said in the PSA.
The vaccination rate has been getting slower in Kentucky, pushing Beshear’s goal further and further back: at the rate people have been getting vaccinated this week, Kentucky might not hit 2.5 million until August.
Beshear said he may remove restrictions in phases, depending on CDC guidance and other advice from health experts as more people get vaccinated.
As of Friday, 1.7 million people in Kentucky have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Anyone 16 and older is eligible to get one.