On Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in response to the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant and recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, students and staff members are now required to wear a mask while in school.
All teachers, staff, students, and visitors must cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when indoors in all public and private preschool, Head Start, elementary, middle and high schools in Kentucky, Beshear said, including but not limited to inside vehicles used for transportation such as school buses, regardless of vaccination status.
All staff, visitors and children ages two and older who are able to wear a face covering must cover their nose and mouth when indoors in all childcare settings in Kentucky, regardless of vaccination status, the governor said.
“We are in the midst of the fastest surge that we have ever seen during COVID right now,” Beshear said. “This move is supported by medical organizations, local health department leaders, businesses and education leaders. It is also supported by the Kentucky Chamber, representing 3,800 member businesses across the commonwealth. This is a united front of saving lives, keeping our kids in school and keeping our economy and workforce going.”
The order includes a list of exemptions.
The CDC now recommends universal indoor wearing of face coverings for all teachers, staff, students (ages two and older), and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC recommends that all people ages two and older who are not fully vaccinated should wear a face covering while indoors in childcare settings.
The CDC also recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a face covering in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.
The surge of hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 is causing children’s hospitals to become overwhelmed, with recent CDC data showing an average of 225 children with COVID-19 admitted to U.S. hospitals every day over the past week.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that more than 93,000 children and teenagers were infected with COVID-19 between July 29 and August 5.
While Kentucky has had success in administering at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 2,376,891 people, vaccinations remain unavailable for approximately 661,500 Kentucky children ages 11 and under. Furthermore, fewer less than 34 percent of all eligible Kentucky children between ages 12 and 17 have received their first dose of a vaccine.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken at ken@k105.com
