FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 22, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday updated Kentuckians on the state’s actions to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The Governor held Monday’s news conference in the Old State Capitol.
Gov. Beshear and administration officials also provided updates on new guidance for venues, including for weddings and gatherings of 50 or fewer people; preparations for Tuesday’s primary elections, including polling help from plain-clothed Kentucky National Guardsmen; and upgrades being made to help administer unemployment insurance claims.
Case Information
As of 4 p.m. June 22, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 13,839 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 90 of which were newly reported Monday. He also noted Sunday’s number of new cases was revised up by three, to 120 cases. Fortunately, Gov. Beshear reported no new deaths Monday.
At least 3,534 Kentuckians had recovered from the virus. For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.
New Guidance for Venues
Gov. Beshear and Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s commissioner of public health, spoke about updated guidance beginning next week for many venues, including restaurants and bars. The new guidance also covers wedding venues and gatherings of 50 or fewer people.
Beginning June 29, people can begin gathering in groups of 50 or fewer people. Adherence to rules on social distancing, mask use and sanitation remains critically important, and people in more vulnerable categories should continue to avoid such gatherings.
Dr. Stack said using face masks and getting tests are crucial in keeping the virus under wraps.
Tuesday’s Primary Elections
Gov. Beshear offered an update on the plan for plain-clothed Kentucky National Guardsmen to help manage some polling stations across the commonwealth.
In all, 234 soldiers will be helping out in 45 counties. He said the soldiers will not be in uniform and their primary duties include aiding traffic control, social distancing, sanitization and general voter assistance.
Gov. Beshear also spoke about Kentucky’s operation of the primary elections in light of some questions about the reduced number of polling sites. The Governor noted that the plan was the result of a compromise with Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams and included, for the first time in the commonwealth, absentee voting offered to all voters.
The Governor said the end result is that he’s expecting the highest voting totals for a primary in the state in many years. As of Monday, he said, 883,054 absentee ballots had been requested, 88,530 people already voted early and 452,305 ballots already had been returned.
“If your absentee ballot is postmarked by tomorrow, June 23, your vote will be counted,” Gov. Beshear said. “If you need to vote in person, please make sure to follow county voting guidelines and directions.”
Unemployment Insurance Update
Gov. Beshear provided information about the administration’s latest moves to address the unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims brought on by the global pandemic.
As he explained last week, Gov. Beshear noted that the state’s unemployment office budget went from $41 million in 2010 to $25 million in 2018; in addition, in 2017, the state cut 22 of 51 local unemployment offices and 95 employees. These financial, geographic and staffing challenges have made it more difficult to provide in-person services throughout the commonwealth, but the Governor said he was determined to find a path forward.
Gov. Beshear said Labor Cabinet Secretary Larry Roberts is now in charge of the unemployment system and that the state is working to finalize a contract with an outside consulting firm that has experience working with these claims.
In addition, new in-person help soon will be offered outside of Frankfort.
For more information from the Labor Cabinet at the Kentucky Career Center portal, click here.