Gov. Beshear: To Save Lives, Keep Schools Open, Masks Required in All Kentucky Schools, Child Care Settings

Health care, public health, schools support Governor’s executive order

                               (File)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2021) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear said in response to the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant and recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, he will require the following via an executive order:

• All individuals – all teachers, staff, students and visitors – must cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when indoors in all public and private preschool, Head Start, elementary, middle and high schools (preschool through grade 12) in Kentucky, including but not limited to inside of vehicles used for transportation such as school buses, regardless of vaccination status; and
• All staff, visitors and children ages 2 and older who are able to wear a face covering must cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when indoors in all child care settings in Kentucky, regardless of vaccination status.

“We are in the midst of the fastest surge that we have ever seen during COVID right now. This move is supported by medical organizations, local health department leaders, businesses and education leaders. It is also supported by the Kentucky Chamber, representing 3,800 member businesses across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “This is a united front of saving lives, keeping our kids in school and keeping our economy and workforce going.”

The order includes a list of exemptions.

The CDC now recommends universal indoor wearing of face coverings for all teachers, staff, students (ages 2 and older) and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC recommends that all people ages 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated should wear a face covering while indoors in child care settings. The CDC also recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a face covering in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.

Health care, public health, school and business leaders across Kentucky echoed support for the Governor’s order.

Public Health Leaders: Masks Are Simple Step to Keep Children Safe
Dr. Crystal Miller, director of the WEDCO District Health Department, whose department addressed the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Kentucky last year, said the delta variant has created some of the greatest challenges local hospitals have faced since the start of the pandemic.

“We had the highest COVID admission rate in one of our local hospitals today that we’ve seen this entire pandemic,” said Dr. Miller. “The COVID unit is full. Our local hospital CEO told me that his day begins and ends with texts from other CEOs around Kentucky asking if there are beds available to transfer patients. This is the most concerning thing that I have been told since the pandemic began.”

“Wearing a mask is a simple step to help keep our children healthy and safe,” said Rebecca Kissick, MSW, public health director, Clark County Health Department. “The Clark County Health Department recognizes the benefit of in-person learning and support the Governor’s efforts to keep our children healthy in school.”

“As a minimal tool to help mitigate the risk of increased transmission of COVID-19 in our schools and as recommended by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, I support the Governor’s required mask mandate for K-12 schools until there is a significant reduction in disease to protect our unvaccinated and most vulnerable students and staff,” added Randy Gooch, executive director, Jessamine County Health Department.

Eleven other local health department leaders also shared their support for the executive order.

Education Leaders: Mask Requirements Provide Best Chance for Safe In-Person Learning
Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Jason Glass agreed that mask requirements will give Kentucky school districts the best chance to safely return to full-time, in-person learning this fall with layered strategies in place to prevent COVID-19 infection and transmission. He also said the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) will meet to discuss and act on an emergency regulation regarding face coverings in school facilities in a special-called meeting on Thursday, in coordination with the Governor’s executive order.

“Our primary goal is to keep our students safe while prioritizing in-person learning, which our students both crave and need,” said Commissioner Glass. “We have been unambiguous that our guidance and decisions here at the department will be based on science and upon recommendations from public health organizations. Besides vaccinations (which our students under 12 are not yet eligible for), masking is one of the most effective virus mitigation strategies we can deploy. With strong and consistent precautions in place, Kentucky’s schools have proven that we can safely open for in-person instruction. The Governor’s executive order and the KBE’s pending emergency regulation to require masking both put the health and learning of Kentucky’s children first, and I support them unconditionally.”

Kentucky Education Association (KEA) President Eddie Campbell said: “Our schools count on our elected leaders to do what is best for the safety and health of our children, and to lead with that goal foremost in their minds. KEA supports Gov. Beshear’s mask requirement in all public schools. Masks are a simple, low-impact, essential precaution that will protect students, educators and families and will hopefully allow schools to remain open. No one wants to return to extended virtual learning or to the society-wide restrictions of 2020. But to avoid that, we must all use common sense to protect ourselves and each other.

Houston Barber, superintendent of Frankfort Independent Schools and president of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, said: “The small sacrifice and commitment to wear masks has opened up the world of opportunities for our students to be successful during in-person school. Our team at Frankfort Independent Schools has been dedicated to ensuring we have in-person school for all of 2021-2022. We have had no spread of COVID-19 cases and have been in school since Aug. 2. We must remain faithful to this small sacrifice at this time to thrive and transform the lives and minds of our most precious gifts (students) without any disruption. It’s a team effort, and we must do this together!”

COVID-19 Case Information Update
Number of people who have received at least one vaccine dose in Kentucky: 2,376,891

New Cases Today: 2,500
Positivity Rate: 11.05%
Current Hospitalizations: 1,251
Current Intensive Care Admittances: 339
Currently on Ventilators: 168

“This is the fastest and steepest rise in cases of the entire pandemic. We had a 43% increase in hospitalized COVID cases in Kentucky in one week,” said Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack. “We had a 32% increase in the number of hospitalized COVID patients in the intensive care units in one week. We had a 61% increase in number of COVID-19 patients on a ventilator in just one week. At this rate, in two weeks we will blow past our previous peaks.

“As of today, 15 hospitals that we are aware of have reported staffing shortages. Out of about 96 acute care hospitals in the state, that’s more than 15% of the hospitals having staffing shortages. We must take this seriously and pull together like we have before.”

Dr. Stack said on July 9, 2021, Kentucky had a seven-day average of 4.75 new cases per day per 100,000 people. On August 9, 2021, Kentucky had a seven-day average of 43.83 new cases per day per 100,000 people.

“For hospitalizations, we are seeing the most significant, severe slope, meaning the rate of growth, that we have ever seen. We are doubling the number of Kentuckians hospitalized with COVID-19 every two weeks,” said Gov. Beshear.

The Governor encouraged all Kentuckians 12 and older to get a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and then sign up for a chance to win $1 million or a full college scholarship at ShotAtAMillion.ky.gov. Two $1 million winners and 10 full-scholarship winners were announced on July 2 and July 30. On Aug. 27, another $1 million winner and five more full-scholarship winners will be announced.