During Monday’s COVID-19 update for the Commonwealth, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed his decision to rescind the mask mandate for schools he enacted on August 10, in what comes as a stunning reversal following this weekend’s state Supreme Court ruling in favor of the legislature and General Assembly involvement.
Beshear noted it was the “proper step” to realign with the ruling, but again noted the Kentucky Board of Education’s mask mandate — which could last up to 270 school days — remains in effect.
Beshear noted that on-going, fruitful discussions with the legislature took place even Monday, and he added that he believes the General Assembly is taking the pandemic and its toll on the state “seriously.”
But he also added that his executive powers have been weakened, and that he felt his most recent decision involving school mask mandates was in direct relation of trying to keep hospital beds open and available.
Early Monday, the Food and Drug Administration formally approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine — becoming the first such vaccine to gain an FDA nod since the pandemic began March 2020.
The first such COVID-19 vaccination to be subject to full review by the national regulatory organization, its federal approval could potentially lead to more nationwide employee mandates for the vaccine, and it perhaps reassures some hesitant in receiving it to change course.
In the wake of this information, however, Beshear reported Kentucky is now experiencing all-time highs in hospitalizations, ICU and ventilator use. More than 1,800 are in Kentucky hospitals with COVID-19, and with the fourth wave of the pandemic, Kentucky’s positivity rate on Monday — 12.87 percent — is the third-highest since positivity has been measured in the state.
Of Kentucky’s 120 counties, 119 are in the red regarding incidence rate, and of Monday’s 17 reported COVID-19 deaths, one included a 59-year-old Crittenden County native.
Beshear noted the next phase of his response plan is to deploy the Kentucky National Guard to three locations beginning on September 1: St. Clair Regional in Morehead, Med Center Bowling Green and Pikeville Regional Center.
The National Guard may also be involved with future mobile vaccination units, local health department assistance and local food bank support.
From Saturday-to-Monday, more than 31,000 Kentuckians received a first or second dose of the vaccination, and more than 2.47 million Kentuckians now have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
