As Kentuckians took to the polls to vote Tuesday, Governor Andy Beshear urged people to not forget that the COVID-19 pandemic is still very present, reporting 1,795 new cases.
That puts the overall total of cases in the Commonwealth at 111,379—approximately 255 of the newly reported cases were children under the age of 18. The positivity rate steady somewhat steady at 6.24 percent. Governor Beshear says he hoped everyone wore a mask if they went and voted in person, and that this virus will still be present when the election is over, no matter who wins—so people still need to be focused on doing what needs to be done.
The governor says he supports making early voting a permanent option in Kentucky going forward, due to large voter turnout before the polls even opened.
Governor Beshear says that although they don’t believe schools are behind the surge in community spread of coronavirus, he disagrees with districts that are continuing in-person instruction despite being in ‘red zones’. He says with schools going virtual while community follow strict guidelines would help slow the spread as whole.
Eleven more Kentuckians have died, including a 71-year old man and 82-year old woman from Muhlenberg County, putting the total at 1,503 since the pandemic began. The Tennessee Department of Health is reporting 1,770 new cases, along with 75 deaths—Montgomery County reported 14 new cases, Robertson County gained two and Stewart County added six.