UPDATE: Governor Beshear recommends schools mask up this fall

LEXINGTON, Ky. (UPDATE) (WTVQ) – As school districts prepare for the upcoming school year, the health and safety of students is on the minds of state leaders.

Governor Beshear says the delta variant in Kentucky is escalating quickly, that COVID cases each week are growing and because of that, he’s making three recommendations for school districts heading into the new school year…as he says the kids are the priority.

“If we don’t take mitigation efforts, if school districts don’t embrace mitigation efforts, we are not going to be in school every day and it’s not anything that I’m doing, but it’s the delta variant is going to stop you from ultimately having your students in like you want to” said Governor Beshear.

The recommendations include requiring all unvaccinated students and adults to wear masks in classrooms and any indoor school settings.

That school’s should require all students under 12 to wear masks in class and in indoor school settings….since they’re too young to be vaccinated right now.

And that both unvaccinated and vaccinated students and adults be required to wear masks in classrooms and in any indoor school settings to gets kids back into the classroom and keep them there.

“If our goal is to have our kids in class the maximum amount of days this is a no brainer” added Governor Beshear.

With the biggest worry being the delta variant spreading quickly and aggressively to unvaccinated people…Beshear says he expects it to spread through classrooms at a rate that would lead to large quarantines

State education leaders also stressing the importance of the recommendations.
Officials took the time to thank school officials for their efforts in combating the virus so far…but to double down again by masking up this fall.

“Those working in and learning in our schools know what to do to keep in person learning going and to do so safely, we’ve already definitely proven that” said Dr. Jason Glass, Commissioner with the Kentucky Department of Education.

“Our priority is to return to in-person school but it’s also to stay in school” said Kentucky Board of Education Chair, Lu Young.

Schools are also being encouraged to join the K-12 COVID testing program, a voluntary and free program that would allow testing for students and staff throughout the year…

And though these are just recommendations..Governor Beshear says a mandate would not be off the table when it comes to the health of Kentuckians.

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – Gov. Andy Beshear shared new masking recommendations for K-12 schools in response to the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant.

“Our priority is our kids,” said Gov. Beshear. “How we make decisions has to come from one simple place: What gives us the best chance to have our kids in school the maximum number of days in the midst of a pandemic? That is our North Star.”

The Governor was joined by Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Jason Glass and Kentucky Board of Education Chair Lu Young.

Gov. Beshear and the state officials agreed Kentucky’s challenge is that the delta variant spreads quickly and aggressively among unvaccinated people of all ages. Without mitigation efforts, they expect the delta variant will spread through unvaccinated classrooms and throughout buildings resulting in large, frequent quarantines of students and staff.

Therefore, the Governor recommended the following:

• School districts should require all unvaccinated students and unvaccinated adults to wear a mask when in classrooms and other indoor school settings;
• School districts should require all students under 12 years of age to wear a mask when in classrooms and other indoor school settings; and
• School districts wishing to optimize safety and minimize risk of educational and athletic disruption should require all students and all adults to wear a mask while in classrooms and other indoor school settings.

“Those working in and learning in our schools know what to do to keep in-person learning going and to do so safely. We have already definitively proven that,” said Commissioner Glass. “Now as conditions have shifted again with the rise of the delta variant and reinfections, we need to call once again upon your courage, dedication and commitment to keep our schools open for school this fall.”

“I want to thank elected school board officials for consistently rising to the challenges that we’ve faced throughout this pandemic,” said Chair Young. “You have maintained a laser-like focus on the best interests, safety and health of the children in our districts and you’ve proven that we can put these kind of return-to-school guidelines in place successfully.”

The press conference also discussed the K-12 School COVID-19 Testing Program.

The program is voluntary and offered by KDPH in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Kentucky K-12 schools to assist in reopening safely for in-person instruction.

“We’ve been given $134 million by the federal government to create a testing program for K-12 schools, public and private, throughout the entire commonwealth,” said Dr. Stack. “I urge everyone who operates a school out there to explore the options and make testing available to keep yourselves safe.”

Superintendents and school administrators can learn more here.

• Testing will be limited to staff and students of Kentucky K-12 public, private and charter schools and includes school district employees and staff (contracted or otherwise), such as bus drivers, maintenance, office staff or as determined by the school administrator.
• The K-12 School COVID-19 Testing Program will operate the entire 2021-22 academic year.
• Participation in the school-based COVID-19 screening testing program is voluntary and at no-cost.

These recommendations come along with the state’s latest COVID-19 report.

The number of counties in the ‘red’ category for high incidence rates increased significantly from 15 to 23.

In the daily report Monday, the state listed 783 new cases. The numbers brought the total number of cases in the state to 476,650.

The positivity rate rose to 7.89%, an nearly 1% increase from Friday’s 6.97%.

Of the new cases, 174 are in people 18 and younger.

The state reported two new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing Kentucky’s total death toll since the pandemic to 7,319.

The state reported 486 people hospitalized, up from 444 on Friday; 159 in ICU, an increase from Friday’s 132; and 71 people on a ventilator, a jump from 58 on Friday.