Shelby County judge executive issues curfew for minors to combat spread of COVID-19 outbreak

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Shelby County Judge Executive Dan Ison has signed an executive order issuing a temporary curfew for anyone in the county under the age of 18. County leaders hope it will help prevent gatherings of 10 or more people during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Minors won't be allowed on the roads or at any public place from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends. Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore said breaking the curfew order could result in fines up to $250 as punishment.

The countywide curfew is effective until Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ends his state of emergency declaration, Ison said.

"This is about public safety," he said. "This is about protecting the youth of our county."

Shelbyville and Simpsonville both have permanent ordinances in place that have the same curfew for minors within city limits. Although Ison said he signed the countywide order into action specifically to help combat against a public health crisis, the curfew order could eventually become permanent countywide.

"We've shut restaurants down," said Ison, who declared a state of emergency for Shelby County on March 16. "They don't have the gathering places, and we don't want them gathering together for a bonfire and exposing each other to a possible dangerous situation."

There are some exceptions to the order, however. Any minor traveling to or from a job past curfew hours is exempt, along with any minor who is accompanied by an adult after curfew.

"If they've closed the park, closed restaurants, closed cinemas and they've closed all the places of leisure," Moore said, "then it doesn't make since for young people to gather on the street corner 15 to 25 (people) at a time."