LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday that Kentucky will remove COVID-19 capacity restrictions and nearly all of the state's remaining mask mandates on June 11.
At that point, the governor said, "life will be almost fully back to normal."
The announcement comes a day after Beshear extended Kentucky’s state of emergency, but loosened restrictions on mask wearing after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said vaccinated Americans no longer needed them in most circumstances.
Under Beshear's order filed Thursday, masks still are required in Kentucky schools and day cares for students, staff and visitors. Children 5 years old and younger, however, are exempt from wearing face coverings.
But on June 11, mask requirements will go away except at "places where people are the most vulnerable." It wasn't immediate clear which places that would cover.
Beshear said he was waiting nearly a month to eliminate all capacity restrictions for businesses, venues and other places because he wanted more Kentuckians 12 to 15 years old to receive coronavirus vaccines. And, he said, because "it's a major step."
"People out there who aren't vaccinated now, now have the choice and the time to get fully vaccinated before we hit that 100 percent capacity," Beshear said.
Republicans have pushed Beshear, a Democrat, to move more swiftly to lift restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19, which state data show has caused more than 6,000 deaths in Kentucky since the first case was announced in March 2020.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, a Republican who is weighing a run for governor, said in an interview with WDRB News that Beshear's latest actions "should have been done by now."
"We should reopen, especially our capacity restrictions, immediately to help out our small businesses like our struggling restaurants," Quarles said.
"Those capacity restrictions should be lifted today."
Beshear's current executive order requires masks on buses and other public transportation, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare and long-term care settings. It encourages their use in jails, prisons and homeless shelters, as well as by people who are immune-compromised or who have tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days.
The order exempts those with disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing face coverings and people who are deaf or hard of hearing and actively communicating from masking requirements. Those communicating with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing are also not required to wear masks under the governor’s updated order.
Beshear said he wanted wait to lift capacity limits and further ease masking requirements until June 11 to give 12- and 15-year-olds about a month to get fully vaccinated. Teachers were among the first groups eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Kentucky.
The Food and Drug Administration and CDC granted emergency approval to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech for 12- and 15-year-olds this week.
"One month gives our 12- to 15-year-olds the necessary time to get vaccinated," Beshear said.
That's also why he did not include schools among areas where masks are no longer required for those who have been vaccinated.
"They have not had the opportunity to get vaccinated, meaning the vast majority of the population inside any school, even when you look at the statistics of 17 to 18, aren't vaccinated and won't be fully vaccinated until the end of school," Beshear said, adding that his administration would "most likely" ease such restrictions for summer camps and programs.
"With just a couple weeks left and with at least two school systems that have had COVID flare-ups, we've got to get through the end of the year," he said.
The Kentucky Department of Education, which developed the state’s “Healthy at School” guidance alongside the Kentucky Department for Public Health, will review Beshear's executive order and communicate any guidance changes with superintendents on Monday, said Toni Konz Tatman, chief communications officer for KDE.
Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio said Kentucky's largest school district will not change its policy on face coverings after reviewing the governor's executive order.
"The governor states that there's no change right now to mask guidance for K-12 education, so we will continue on with our return to school guidelines that we have had, having masks for all employees and students as directed by the governor until we get further guidance," Pollio said.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
