Kentucky is heading in the wrong direction concerning COVID-19, according to Governor Andy Beshear, who reported 953 new cases Monday.
He says the number of new cases coming in right now are more significant than they were even at the start of the pandemic, not just in Kentucky but across the United States. The new cases Monday brings the overall total up to 97,866, —and the positivity rate crept up again to 5.84 percent. Governor Beshear says he is evidence that mask wearing works—he says it’s what kept him from contracting the virus recently, when one of his security detail tested positive for the virus.
He calls the escalation ‘severe and significant. Last week was the highest record amount of COVID-19 cases gained in a week, so the governor is issuing guidance to counties who are listed in the red ‘critical’ zone, which includes Christian, Hopkins and Logan County locally. Those recommendations include employers allowing employees to work from home if possible, reduce in-person shopping, order take out instead of dining in, to not host or attend gatherings of any size, avoid non-essential activities outside of your home and more.
The governor says they ask people to follow those recommendations for at least a week, or until the county is out of the ‘red’ zone, and he clarified these are not mandates.
Governor Beshear says Thanksgiving will undoubtedly look different this year—he says that older relatives should probably think twice about attending and relatives from out of town probably shouldn’t travel.
Three more Kentuckians have died, putting that total at 1,410. The state has now administered approximately 1.9 million COVID-19 tests. The Tennessee Department of Health is reporting 2,279 new COVID-19 cases there, along with 32 new deaths.
