Kentucky Orders Bars Closed, Reduced Capacity at Restaurants Due to COVID-19

Kentucky has ordered bars to close for the next two weeks and restaurants to reduce indoor capacity amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Gov. Andy Beshear made the announcement Monday during a media briefing.

He also reported 522 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 27,601, with nine new deaths. More than 700 people have died from the virus in Kentucky.

Restaurant capacity will be reduced to 25 percent and bars will close for a second time since President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency in mid-March.

"We cannot allow an escalation to continue," Beshear said during a press conference. "We're trying to avoid this with everything we have. But at some point we got to do what we got to do, and the White House has put out the steps that at least according to their modeling will help us get it under control."

Beshear also recommended that private and public schools wait until the third week of August to start in-person instruction.

"I'm making that recommendation because I care about my kids – I care about yours. I care about their teachers and administrators, and I believe everybody deserves a safe environment," he said. It's hard to argue we have a safe environment when our cases overall are escalating and our positivity rate is up again today."

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