Kentuckians Urged to Celebrate Halloween Safely

DEM Blogger

October 30, 2020

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2020) – On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear asked Kentuckians to make a plan now for a safe Halloween, as COVID-19 cases rise across the commonwealth and the nation.

“Remember, the more cases, the more people in the hospital, the more people in the ICU and the more people who die,” said Gov. Beshear. “It’s time for a coordinated community effort with everybody on board. Now is the time for leadership, not for excuses.”

To view the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) Halloween guidance visit kycovid19.ky.gov.

Gov. Beshear and KDPH commissioner Dr. Steven Stack also reminded community leaders, schools, businesses and residents in the state’s hardest hit areas to follow the Red Zone Reduction Recommendations. Thursday’s 68 red zone counties should follow the recommendations Monday, Nov. 2, through Sunday, Nov. 8.

“We absolutely must double down in terms of applying caution,” said Dr. Stack. “With nearly 70 counties now in the red zone, I am pleading with you to observe both Halloween and Red Zone Reduction Recommendations. Lives and livelihoods literally depend on all of us doing our part.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Friday, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:

• New cases today: 1,941
• New deaths today: 15
• Positivity rate: 6.19%
• Total deaths: 1,476
• Currently hospitalized: 974
• Currently in ICU: 241
• Currently on ventilator: 121

Those reported lost to the virus today include an 88-year-old woman from Clark County; an 83-year-old man from Daviess County; two men, ages 39 and 89, from Fayette County; an 82-year-old man from Greenup County; a 68-year-old man from Hancock County; two men, ages 66 and 67, from Jefferson County; a 75-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man from Knott County; an 84-year-old man from Laurel County; a 91-year-old man from Lee County; an 86-year-old woman from Montgomery County; a 69-year-old man from Pike County; and an 67-year-old woman from Washington County.

Gov. Beshear reminds Kentuckians to light their homes and businesses green to show compassion for those lost to COVID-19.

The top counties with the most positive cases today are: Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Hardin, Warren and Campbell.

Week in Review
To read more on this week’s updates, including those on new red zone recommendations, community weekly case reduction plans, surge testing, Virginia Moore beating cancer and Thursday’s 68 red zone counties, visit governor.ky.gov/news.

More Information
See KDPH’s Halloween guidance: in English (full guidance, one-pager, slide) and in Spanish (full guidance, one-pager, slide). In partnership with Gov. Beshear, RadioLex also recorded safe Halloween public service announcements in English, Spanish, Persian, Korean, Japanese, French and Chinese.

To view the full daily report, incidence rate map, testing locations, long term-care and other congregate facilities update, school reports, the White House Coronavirus Task Force reports for Kentucky and other key guidance visit, kycovid19.ky.gov.