Kentucky's senior citizen centers can reopen at full capacity on June 11, Beshear says

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Senior citizen centers across Kentucky can reopen on June 11, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday.

The centers, which closed to the public at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic more than a year ago, will be among the countless venues allowed to reopen at full capacity when the commonwealth's restrictions are lifted that day.

Anyone who enters one of the centers will be required to follow mask guidance that is specific to the county where the center is located, Beshear said.

The centers will adhere to other recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "which fall closely in line with long-term care and adult day health care guidance," the governor said.

In announcing the news, Beshear applauded those around the commonwealth who helped ensure senior citizens had meals during the pandemic and hazardous winter weather over the past year.

"That is the true spirit of team Kentucky, and that's one of the things that makes us special," he said. "When times are toughest, we are at our very best. Our goodness comes out."

Visitations resumed at non-Medicare certified long-term care facilities in Kentucky in February.

Kentucky reports 260 more virus-related deaths from statewide audit

An audit of death certificates to identify additional Kentuckians who fell victim to COVID-19 has been completed, Beshear said Tuesday.

Kentucky reported 260 additional coronavirus-related deaths from the audit after examining death certificates spanning back to the outset of the pandemic, according to the governor. Initially, the audit focused on deaths reported from November 2020 through the end of February 2021.

"What we've also seen is, every day, five or 10 deaths that were before that period coming up from our local health departments, and given that we were seeing those, we wanted to extend our commitment, because every Kentuckian lost to COVID needs to be recognized," Beshear said. "It's a family that is grieving."

Health officials confirmed one additional death Tuesday in addition to the deaths from the audit alongside 137 new COVID-19 cases.

Tuesday's update brings Kentucky to 345,088 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. The virus has been a contributing factor in the deaths of at least 7,067 Kentuckians.

Kentucky's positivity rate, which measures the proportion of COVID-19 tests returning positive, rose slightly from 2.47% on Monday to 2.50% on Tuesday, according to Kentucky Public Health.

Data shows 324 Kentuckians hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday and 111 patients being treated in intensive care units. More than 50 virus patients were on ventilators.

For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of the state's confirmed cases reported since March 2020, at least 52,805 have recovered, according to Kentucky Public Health.

But for others, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.

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