Governor Andy Beshear discussed further reopening procedures during Friday’s press conference and announced 252 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky.
Kentucky State Resort Parks and campgrounds will begin opening on June 1, which includes the resumption of fishing tournaments, the opening of some wildlife centers and other tourism-centric items. Other things opening on June 1 include fitness centers, movie theaters, and bowling alleys. The Governor also says some types of pools will be allowed to open in June—only lap pools and pools that are used for exercise. He says all of those things opening will have their own guidelines—mostly involving limited capacities—in the interest of opening safely.
The exceptions of state resort parks opening includes Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland, Blue Licks Battlefield and Buckhorn Lake State Park, which are being reserved for potential quarantines.
He announced 252 new cases of COVID-19 in the state—putting that total at 7,444—but says that a good portion of those came from a federal prison in Lexington, so he believes the state is still in a plateau.
Beshear says the main goal for such a careful, phased opening is to make sure that once the ecology is fully open, it doesn’t have to be closed again due to a resurgence of coronavirus.
Beshear says it’s his hope that if this is done right, then students will be able to go back to a traditional school structure in the fall. Four more Kentuckians have died from the virus, bringing that total to 332 and 127,689 individuals have been tested since the pandemic began.
There will be no press conferences with the Governor on either Saturday or Sunday this weekend, with the next regularly scheduled conference set for Monday at 4 p.m.
Tennessee is at 16,970 cases of COVID-19 and 290 deaths as of Friday. Montgomery County is at 203 cases, up four from Thursday, Robertson County gained 13 new cases to 263 and Stewart County remains at seven cases.