Thread by @mandy_mclaren

In Frankfort for @GovAndyBeshear’s daily briefing, where we’re expected to learn more about the state’s #HealthyatSchool plans. (Thread!)

Beshear reports 229 new cases of the coronavirus. Of those:
40 in Fayette
32 in Jefferson
23 in Warren

Beshear says many of the Fayette cases are in Lexington’s Hispanic community.

“Make sure you’ve changed your lifestyle until we get a vaccine,” Beshear says, asking residents to reduce their normal contacts by 50%.

By Monday, everything in Kentucky will be open to some extent.

Beshear reports one new death, an 89-year-old man from Laurel County. Kentucky has now lost at least 538 residents to COVID-19.

Kentucky now has 14,363 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of cases: 73% white, 14% Black
Of deaths: 70% white, 16% Black

Beshear says Kentucky’s cases are not growing at the rate of other states seeing spikes. The plateau in numbers also comes as testing has increase significantly from where KY was a month or two ago.

On summer travel, “if there is a place with a lot of outbreaks, don’t go,” Beshear says, mentioning Myrtle Beach.

Stack says KY has identified “a number of clusters” related to travel to Myrtle Beach.

At least 9 of 12 Kentuckians who traveled to MB on June 11 came back and tested positive.

Similar incident with another group and another individual who traveled there, Stack says.

Testing next week: Louisville, Lexington, Pikeville, Kenton County.

Beshear says their are concerning numbers coming out of greater Cincinnati.

Beshear says state reached settlement yesterday that will result in $383M for Kentucky’s rural hospitals.

Stems from 13 year lawsuit. (Though does not detail the actual complaint)

$93.9M will come from state. The rest comes from the federal government, Beshear says.

#HealthyatSchools plan next coming from @kycommissioner and @LtGovColeman

“What we cannot do ... is not make recommendations that we know would protect not just students but the teachers and the bus drivers and the rest,” Beshear said.

@kycommissioner: Schools will be granted flexibility to continue using NTI. There will also be “continuity and predictability” in education funding this year.

Brown calls up slide showing the guidance KDE has provided to schools over the past three months. (Recall that last week top Republicans in KY Senate sent letter griping about lack of guidance.)

New guidance document being release today will be focused on these five areas.

There will be a 6-ft social distancing requirement in classrooms. If students are closer, kids must keep masks on.

Expect to see tape every 6 ft in school hallways. No assemblies.

“If a student is moving, they need to have a mask on. If they are less than 6 ft, they need to have a mask on. If they are on a bus, they need to have a mask on.”

Brown says districts CAN fully load buses. Siblings should sit together. Parents must put their kids on a bus with an “assurance” that they do not have a temp greater than 100.4. Once at school, must get temp checked.

Schools should be keeping thorough records of students’ contact with others, including bus manifests and seating charts.

Therefore, if positive case, contact tracers can more easily identify who the student may have come in contact with.

Brown repeats concern: kids need to see adults they know and respect modeling social distancing and mask wearing.

Calls on Kentuckians to help make things easier on teachers (so they can teach rather than spend time talking a kid into wearing a mask) by modeling good habits.

Brown says additional guidance is forthcoming:

Back to why masks are so important:

John Page, 47, a welding instructor at Monroe County ATC, died of COVID-19 last week.

Teachers like Page deserve to work in a safe environment, Brown says.

@LtGovColeman: It is not fair to just put new expectations on 100s of thousands of children that come to the same school building every day without also allowing for our schools to be able to innovate and to be able to change the way they do things in the name of health & safety.

Coleman says safety is important for both kids and staff, noting the deaths of Kentucky school employees from COVID-19.

“it is our duty to protect every child, but it is also our duty to protect every adult and every family member of the folks in our school buildings.”

Coleman: new state memo allows
1. Schools to have unlimited NTI days for new school year
2. Allows schools to base SEEK funding on previous years’ attendance
3. Will allow 75% more children to be served under Expanded Care program, with 3:1 federal match

Coleman says she is also sending letters to state education officials across the U.S. asking them to join Kentucky in calling on the feds to issue more funding for schools as they work to support students amid the ongoing pandemic.

Beshear gives unemployment update about expanded in-person help with addressing claims. I missed the details but I bet @MattGlo is on it!

Beshear: Talks about news from earlier today related to “agritech,” which includes a public-private partnership with the Dutch government and businesses.

Beshear: This is the LAST daily COVID update. Will move to once per week, on Tuesdays.