Gov. Beshear extends COVID–19 mask mandate for 30 days

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday that he was extending the COVID–19 mask mandate for an additional 30 days.

“It’s working!” Beshear said of the mask mandate. “Since we made it mandatory, more people are wearing them.”

Beshear added that more people wearing masks has resulted in a downward trend in the number of new COVID–19 cases.

While he announced 516 new cases across the state on Thursday, he noted that the totals for the four-day period between Monday and Thursday was down by 247 compared to the same time period last week.

“It is helping Kentucky in so many different ways,” Beshear said.

Beshear said he would continue to extend the mask mandate 30 days at a time.

“It will continue until we have a vaccine,” Beshear said.

Beshear said he will soon be announcing changes to the limits on restaurant and bar seating, increasing capacity back to 50 percent.

However, he said that would come with new rules, including requiring bars to enforce seat rules as opposed to allowing patron to roam around, and having “last call” at 10 p.m.