State braces for holiday and potential COVID impact; eviction rules changed

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The state’s coronavirus positivity test rate remained below the critical 5 percent mark Friday but it ticked upwards slightly.

That, along with another day of high numbers has state leaders sitting on edge heading into a holiday weekend that could spark another surge in cases if Kentuckians play lose with the health and safety rules.

“I know this is a big weekend: Derby weekend, even though its September, and Labor Day weekend,” said Gov. Andy Beshear in announcing the daily numbers. “Traditionally, we’d get together with a lot of people over this weekend. This year, I need you to do it a little differently. Just this one time, probably in your entire life, please keep your gatherings small, 10 people or fewer.

Beshear reported 809 new cases, raising the state total since March 6 to 51,677. Of the new cases, 98 are from children age 18 and younger, of which eight were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was a 2-month-old baby from Jefferson County.

“We’re trying to keep our businesses open and get our economy to bounce back. We’re going to get our kids back in school later this month. We’re trying to get high school sports up and going and keep them going,” the governor continued. “So we really need you to help us on all the other things like wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently and social distancing.”

Beshear reported 11 new deaths, raising the total to 987 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths include a 61-year-old man from Barren County; 88-year-old woman from Carroll County; an 82-year-old man from Clinton County; an 82-year-old woman from Hardin County; two men, ages 72 and 77, from Jefferson County; a 77-year-old woman from Kenton County; a 67-year-old woman from Marion County; a 75-year-old man from Owsley County; a 79-year-old woman from Rockcastle County; and a 64-year-old woman from Warren County.

The positivity rate currently stands at 4.70%. At least 10,587 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.

For 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. 

Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.

On other issues, Beshear updated the state’s executive order on evictions to reflect the Center for Disease Control’s moratorium on residential evictions through Dec. 31.

Under the CDC order, a tenant who signs and submits a declaration to his or her landlord about the inability to timely pay rent cannot be evicted. However, the declaration is required in order to prevent an eviction. Like the Governor’s prior executive orders on evictions, the CDC order does not relieve anyone of the obligation to pay rent or comply with any other obligation under a tenancy, lease or similar contract.

The CDC order allows landlords to charge and collect fees, penalties and interest for failure to timely pay rent, but prohibits evictions for nonpayment or late payment of such fees, penalties or interest.

Under the Governor’s executive order, the CDC order applies in Kentucky through the end of the year and helps keep Kentuckians Healthy at Home. The commonwealth’s Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund, which includes $15 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, will still provide relief for some eligible tenants and landlords.

More details will be announced on Tuesday.

Beshear also extended the mandate for face coverings in some situations for another 30 days, citing the mandate’s success in slowing the spread of COVID-19. To read the new executive order, click here.