At his daily coronavirus (COVID-19) briefing on Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that, beginning in two weeks, patrons visiting businesses will have to wear a mask.
Beshear said everyone going out in public will be asked to wear a mask beginning on May 11, and lasting until a coronavirus vaccine is developed.
“It’s going to look strange, and it’s going to look very different to us, but I want to keep us as safe as possible,” Beshear said. “You don’t need a surgical mask, you will need a cloth mask, until we get a vaccine this is going to be our new normal.”
The governor said anyone out in public without a mask will not be cited but will be asked to put a mask on. For business employees, though, wearing a mask will be mandatory, and businesses not complying could be grounds for temporarily closing the business.
Businesses may also refuse to serve anyone not wearing a mask.
“This helps us open different things a little earlier,” the governor said, as Phase 1 of Beshear’s plan to gradually reopen Kentucky’s economy began on Monday with certain medical services.
New COVID-19 numbers
Beshear said 87 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed over the previous 24 hours, increasing the state’s total to 4,146 confirmed COVID-19 cases. He announced five new deaths, raising Kentucky’s death toll to 213 (5.1 percent).
The newly reported deaths were in Fayette, Hopkins (2) and Jefferson counties (one death in Jefferson Co. is being called a “probable death”).
Monday’s 87 new cases come from 23 counties, including nearby Edmonson, Hardin and Meade counties.
Beshear said 313 victims are currently hospitalized with the virus, with a total of 1,281 (30.9 percent) people ever being hospitalized. One-hundred-six-five victims are currently being treated in ICU, while a total of 612 (14.8 percent) victims have ever been treated in intensive care.
A total of 1,521 (36.7 percent) victims have recovered.
Jobless claims update
Beshear, speaking about the delay of thousands of Kentuckians receiving unemployment benefit checks, said 150,000 unemployment claims, paying $74 million, that were being held up for various reasons are being distributed. Beshear says he has committed that everyone who applied in March will receive unemployment checks this week.
The governor noted that someone applied for unemployment benefits for long-deceased rapper/actor Tupac Shakur, an example, he said, of an action that causes delays.
“One person, who thought they were funny, is going to make tens of thousands of other people wait. Not OK. We can’t be doing that,” the governor said.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
