Governor Announces More Reopening Dates
A London shopper wears gloves and face mask while picking up the essentials. (Photo: Philafrenzy, Wikimedia Commons).
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
Gov. Andy Beshear announced more reopening dates. He said government offices and agencies may reopen on Monday, May 18, and funeral homes can resume in-person funeral ceremonies on Wednesday, May 20.
In addition, the governor expanded the number of businesses that may reopen on May 25 to include nail and tanning salons and tattoo parlors.
On Monday, May 11, the state will allow certain businesses to reopen, include manufacturing, distribution and supply chain businesses; construction; vehicle or vessel dealerships; pet care, including grooming and pet boarding; and photography. Also, horse racing will be allowed—with no fans in attendance—and office-based businesses will be allowed to reopen at 50-percent of their pre-pandemic capacity.
Also on May 11, Kentuckians will need to wear a cloth mask in public, either at work or at the store. While the non-compliant will not be cited, but they will be asked to put on a mask. For reopening businesses, masks will be mandatory for customers and employees. Non-compliant businesses can be temporarily shutdown and businesses can refuse service to customers who don’t wear masks.
Yesterday, the governor announced restaurants may reopen their dining areas Friday, May 22. While outdoor dining areas can reopen, indoor dining areas can only operate at 33-percent capacity.
Government offices and agencies must ensure that no more than 50-percent of employees are physically present in the office on any given day and, overall, no more than 33-percent of the facility’s occupational capacity. Funeral homes conducting memorial services are also limited to 33-percent of the building’s occupancy capacity, excluding officiants, funeral directors, clergy and staff members.
For a full breakdown on the rules businesses and governments must follow, visit https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-healthy-at-work.
Individual businesses do not have to get permission from the state to reopen but they do have to follow state guidelines in order to stay open. Gov. Beshear said not every business will be ready to open their doors at the dates established by the state.
On Friday, the governor announced 176 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing Kentucky’s total to 6,288, including 19 probable cases. So far, 2,266 people—36-percent—have recovered, he said.
The governor also announced four new deaths, bringing Kentucky’s total to 298.
Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, announced plans to test residents and staff in all 286 skilled nursing facilities in Kentucky. So far, 862 residents and 356 staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, resulting in 176 deaths.
Across the globe, there are now over 4-million confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 275,914 deaths. According to worldometers.com, over 1.3-million people have recovered.
In the U.S., there are now 1.3-million confirmed cases—28,060 new cases since yesterday. There have been 78,557 deaths—1,629 since yesterday—while 222,935 people have recovered.
