Counties with more than five new cases Friday were Jefferson, 53; Fayette, 33; Warren, 29; Kenton, 17; Shelby, 9; Laurel, 8; Daviess, 7; and Mercer, 6.
The Christian County Health Department reported the county’s fourth death related to COVID-19 and a surge in coronavirus cases, from 182 to 225 in one day, on Thursday. Some of the cases involved construction workers at the Oak Grove facility.
Contact tracers will allow health department employees who have been reassigned to COVID-19 work to get back to their normal work in public health. But most of the new workers haven’t been hired yet, because officials expect a surge of cases when school begins.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 280 new cases, bringing the state's total to 14,617. That pushed the seven-day rolling average to 211, from 204 the day before.
The guidance also includes general instructions for sanitation, and says schools will need to work with health departments to help track down people who have had contact with people who have tested positive for the virus.
As everything in Kentucky opens at some capacity on Monday, Beshear also urged Kentuckians to keep 6 feet of social distance and decrease their daily activities by half — things he said they will need to do until a vaccine is readily available.
Local election officials will continue scanning and tabulating absentee ballots. Results will be reported to the Kentucky Board of Elections by June 30.
Final results of the election will be released in coming days as officials count mail-in ballots, which all Kentucky voters had the opportunity to cast this year in an effort to reduce exposure to the coronavirus.
