FRANKFORT, Ky. — Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday that restaurants across Kentucky can reopen with outdoor seating at 33% capacity on May 22.
As part of Phase 2 of Kentucky's plan to reopen, Beshear also announced that movie theaters and fitness centers can begin to reopen starting June 1. Camp grounds, both public and private, can reopen June 11. Childcare and youth sports can resume June 15.
Watch the press conference in the player below:
Beshear said he has been working in coordination with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on plans to reopen facilities in Kentucky in a similar fashion. Still, he cautioned business owners to make the right preparations before opening back up to the public.
“Many will find they won’t be ready for that date," he said. "Don’t rush. If you rush and don’t do it right, it spreads the virus,” Beshear said.
Phase 3 of Kentucky's reopening includes gatherings of 50 people, though Beshear could not give a specific date for the transition. He added that Kentucky bars may not be able to reopen until July.
Similarly, he said it's still unclear if public pools, including apartment complex pools, would be able to reopen in summer due to the inability for people using them to properly social distance.
Beshear also announced new coronavirus testing locations Thursday, including two in Bluegrass Urgent Cares located in the Tri-State. You can find those new testing sites here.
Beshear had previously announced a partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare to start a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Erlanger opening May 11. The free testing site on 25 Atlantic Ave will be open to anyone by appointment only until at least May 15. Starting Friday, you can call 1-800-737-7900 to make an appointment.
Starting May 11, all Kentucky workers and customers inside reopened businesses will be required to wear cloth masks. Beshear said Monday that businesses looking to buy $1 masks from the state can visit KyChamber.com/MaskOrderForm. For hand sanitizer, visit KyHandSanitizer.com.
Manufacturing, construction, vehicle/vessel dealerships, professional services (50%), horse racing (without fans), pet grooming and pet boarding businesses can reopen May 11.
On May 20, retailers can also reopen as part of Kentucky's "Phase 1" reopening. Houses of worship will also be able to hold in-person religious services "at reduced capacity" starting May 20. On May 25, social gatherings of 10 people can resume, and salons, barber shops and other cosmetology services can reopen as part of Phase 1.
On Thursday, Beshear announced 11 new virus-related deaths and 208 new cases across the commonwealth. So far, there have been 294 virus-related deaths statewide and 6,129 total positive COVID-19 cases. As of Thursday, more than 2,100 people have recovered from the virus and 81,391 total people have been tested.
On Wednesday, Kentucky moved into "Phase 2" for reopening its health centers, allowing more diagnostic, radiology and outpatient procedures across the state, provided those centers can follow certain guidelines.
Currently, there are dozens of drive-thru testing sites across Kentucky provided by Kroger, including one at the Bracken County Health Department, 429 Frankfort St., on May 5-6. You can find more information on that and other drive-thru sites here.
