Kentucky will lift all capacity restrictions including the mask mandate for all Kentuckians beginning June 11, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Friday morning.
Following the news from the CDC Thursday that individuals who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks and begin to return to life as normal, the governor announced Kentucky will ease up all remaining restrictions in exactly one month. With that, all remaining business capacity restrictions will fully lifted and unvaccinated individuals will no longer have to wear a mask starting June 11. As of yesterday, Kentuckians who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear a mask indoors or outdoors and do not need to practice social distancing.
Beshear noted children of a certain age are now eligible to get vaccinated and a one-month timeline will allow those of that age and any others to get the vaccine before the reopening. He added there are more than a half a million doses of the vaccine available in Kentucky right now and open appointments in all areas as he stated returning to full capacity could raise the risk of exposure for those who are not vaccinated.
He stated these changes will allow for Kentucky’s economy to recover even more, pointing to reports in recent weeks naming the state a leader in economic recovery.
Beshear stated individuals should continue to carry a mask with them to comply with the rules of certain businesses and establishments and for where the CDC says individuals, even those who are vaccinated, should be wearing a mask including airplanes, public transportation, and others.
Following the announcement Friday, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ashli Watts released the following statement:
“We are excited to hear the news today that Kentucky businesses will be able to fully reopen in just one month. The business community is ready for a return to normalcy and it is time for our economy to recover. We appreciate all the work of the Beshear administration over the last year to keep Kentuckians safe and value the partnership we have shared to help ensure Kentucky recovers from the pandemic. We encourage all Kentuckians who are able to get vaccinated to help us all stay safe, and get our economy and workforce back on track as we return to normal.”
Great…however, how will be know who has been fully vaccinated? Honor system…don’t think so.
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