After a record breaking amount of COVID-19 cases on Sunday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced 258 new cases during Monday’s update.
The Governor says the increase in cases, as he expects numbers later in the week to be higher due to how reporting typically goes from testing labs, is not a result of just increased testing. The overall positivity rate is now 4.52 percent, with approximately 533,143 people having been tested in the Commonwealth and with 23,914 total positive cases.
Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says they will be undertaking some new measures to try and reduce the growing numbers, and the data shows Kentucky is in an accelerated phase.
One more Kentuckian has passed away, bringing the total up to 671 since the pandemic began.
Those new measures include the Governor putting out a ‘travel advisory’, requesting for individuals who travel to states that have a 15 percent positivity rate or higher to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Those states include Florida, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, Texas, Nevada and Mississippi.
Also, while Dr. Stack says it’s understandable that many people have let their guard down in their own backyard, the amount of people considered safe to gather has been reduced back down from 50 to 10.
Outdoor weddings and other venues aren’t affected by that measure, as the governor says they operate under their own rules and health guidelines. Governor Beshear says if Kentucky is able to stem the rising tide of cases, then hopefully no more reduction of phased opening plans will happen and school will be able to open safely and as planned in the fall.
Tennessee gained an additional 1,639 COVID-19 cases, up to 79,754, and four new deaths, up to 847. Montgomery County is at 1,173 cases, Robertson County is up to 1,143 and Stewart County has 47 cases.