LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentuckians will be asked to wear masks or face coverings in public starting May 11 as economic restrictions meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 are lifted, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.
The governor said those who don't heed the new guidance, part of the state's plan to begin easing COVID-19 limitations, won't be cited, but businesses whose employees aren't wearing masks may be forced to close until they come into compliance.
"This is how, even when we are plateaued right now that we think that we will be on the decline, we can help to reduce the spread of this virus," Beshear said.
"We're also going to need people to wear these to the grocery store or other places that they're going out where there are other people," he said.
He stressed that cloth face coverings, which can be made from shirts and other common materials, would suffice as part of a "new normal" for Kentuckians until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.
"If you are not a health-care worker, you should not have an N95 or a KN95 mask," Beshear said. "You don't need a surgical mask."
Businesses will have the option of not serving people who aren't wearing masks, Beshear said.
"We're going to need some enforcement on that end as well," he said.
During his daily Capitol news conference Monday, Beshear laid out plans to begin reopening sectors of Kentucky's economy starting May 11 and every week thereafter for a four-week period.
That's essentially a prolonged entry into the first phase of federal guidance to lift COVID-19 restrictions, though Beshear said additional businesses would be allowed to reopen in Kentucky's approach.
Restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, houses of worship and sporting venues are among businesses included in the first phase of White House guidance, which says they must adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.
Beshear did not provide specifics on when specific businesses would be allowed to reopen in Kentucky's gradual approach, though he said childcare facilities and youth activities would not be reopening at this time.
"If that was a requirement to reopen work, we wouldn't be able to reopen work in the way that we are," Beshear said. "... I know it's really going to be a challenge to folks who might already struggle, but we can't take the steps that we would otherwise be taking without that continued restriction."
He said "virtually every business" would be asked to conduct temperature checks on employees daily once restrictions are lifted. The state is also working to increase testing capacity to ensure those showing COVID-19 symptoms can be tested "immediately," he said, adding that more than 700 people will be hired to conduct contact-tracing throughout Kentucky.
"If the way you operate is the way that you did before everything closed, you're doing something wrong," Beshear said. "It all ought to look different."
The news came the same day that 87 newly identified COVID-19 cases, the lowest in recent days, and five confirmed deaths linked to the novel coronavirus were announced by Beshear. One other death was a probable COVID-19 case, he said.
Unless there's a surge of new coronavirus cases in the days ahead, Beshear said the low number suggests Kentucky has "plateaued."
"My hope is that very soon we will be headed into our decline," he said.
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