State Government

Secretary of State Michael Adams expects the final criteria for who can cast ballots by mail will be “subjective,” allowing people to do so if they feel that they are at risk of contracting or having complications from coronavirus.

Beshear reported 425 new cases of the virus on Sunday, about 375 fewer than yesterday, but higher than a typical report on a Sunday, when fewer testing laboratories report to the state.

The governor reported 323 new cases on Monday and said 612 Kentuckians in the hospital with the virus, and 136 of them in intensive care.

Tuesday brought hopeful signs. The seven-day rolling average for the positive test rate fell to 5.08%, the first time it's gone down in four days, and the seven-day average of daily new cases fell to 590. Four days before, it had been 668, more than triple the average of 220 on July 1.

Beshear reported 532 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 28,128. The new cases include 21 children under age 5, with the youngest being 2 months old. Beshear said the state’s positivity rate dropped slightly to 5.08%.

About 75 percent of ballots cast in the June primary were by mail, when the state allow no-excuse absentee voting by mail.

The state’s positivity rate — the number of coronavirus tests that come back positive compared to the total number of tests — has steadily increased and is at its highest point in recent months, 5.41%.

Christian County Clerk Mike Kem reports mail-in ballots here went up approximately 75% compared to a typical election.

During his daily briefing Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the two most prominent causes of new virus clusters in Kentucky are vacation travel and gatherings without social distancing.

Beshear said the order from "Judge Whatshisname" was "absolutely irresponsible," and he also lit into Cameron.

Beshear said he ordered the mask requirement because recent increases in coronavirus cases threaten to escalate the spread in Kentucky. He said he doesn’t want Kentucky to experience the kind of spike seen in other states that now face hospital bed shortages.

The state's daily report said 430 people in Kentucky were hospitalized for covid-19, up from 427 the day before. Intensive-care cases remained steady at 73; they have ranged from 61 to 79 in the last three weeks.