Friday's demonstration marked the seventh straight week that opponents and supporters have faced off at the statue on the Calloway County Courthouse grounds in Murray's town square.
The state's daily K-12 school report shows 14 more students and nine more staff have tested positive for the virus, with 99 students and 40 staff having active cases.
With many Kentuckians ignoring the mask mandate and social-distancing guidance, which is difficult to enforce, health officials say contact tracing is the actionable thing health departments can do to fight the virus without a vaccine.
Other public-health experts have expressed alarm at the change, Market Watch reports, largely because it is estimated that up to 40 percent of people who have the coronavirus don't have symptoms, but can still spread it.
During a virtual hearing, many small food producers said the Kentucky Department for Public Health proposal would cripple their business, especially given the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
Beshear also issued a new executive order on evictions that dedicates $15 million of federal coronavirus relief funds to create a Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund.
