FRANKFORT, Ky. — City and county governments across Kentucky can apply for part of $300 million in CARES Act funding for coronavirus response starting Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced at his Wednesday news conference.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

To apply, local governments with COVID-19-related expenses from March 1, 2020 to Dec. 30, 2020. These expenses can include personal protective equipment, food delivery to nursing homes and vulnerable populations, necessary telework and communications improvements, and others.

“Local governments have been instrumental in the fight against COVID-19 and are a lifeline in our local communities,” Beshar said.

Local governments must apply with expense documentation on DLG’s website Thursday at 8 a.m. Funding will be allocated to governments based on population size.

Retail reopens at 33% capacity

Beshear said initial reports Wednesday indicated people have followed social distancing and cleaning guidelines in retail stores so far.

"This is how we do this right," Beshear said.

With two weeks of data, Beshear said he hopes the state will be able to increase the number of people allowed inside a store at one time. Currently, retailers can host customers at 33% capacity.

Officials recommended that customers follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks and limit the amount of time they are inside retail stores.

Malls and flea markets can also reopen Wednesday as long as staff at entrances and exits keep occupancy at 33% and adhere to cleaning guidelines. Individual stores must also enforce 33% capacity, Beshear said. Mall food courts must follow the same requirements set for restaurants.

Funeral homes were also permitted to reopen Wednesday, and houses of worship could once again host limited-capacity in-person services.

Ky. case numbers and testing

Beshear reported 10 new virus-related deaths Wednesday, and there have been 376 virus-related deaths among 8,167 total positive COVID-19 cases statewide. NKY Health reports 999 total local cases and 57 virus-related deaths as of Wednesday.

More than 2,900 people have recovered from coronavirus, and more than 158,600 people have been tested.

Beshear said that the numbers for the last few weeks have been stable, and that as more Kentuckians get back to work this month, he is confident the state's healthcare system could handle a "second wave" of cases.

“I am encouraged that the number of days that it has taken to stabilize people is a lot lower than was ever anticipated," he said. “Our healthcare professionals have proven that they can get people in, get people better and get people out a lot sooner than anybody had expected.”

Residents of long-term care facilities testing positive for COVID-19 statewide hit 1,002 plus 461 staff, Beshear said Tuesday. So far, 205 residents and two staff members have died since outbreak began, accounting for roughly 60% of the state's total deaths due to COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Public Health Director Dr. Steven Stack announced that the state is administering tests in 23 long-term care facilities. The state is also issuing over 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment to 280 facilities around Kentucky, including 209,900 items of PPE like masks, face shields, gloves and gowns sent to Northern Kentucky.

A free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site will remain open in Erlanger at 25 Atlantic Ave this week. You can call 1-800-737-7900 to schedule an appointment.

For a complete list of coronavirus testing sites in Kentucky, click here.

4 children with COVID-19-related syndrome

Beshear announced that a 5-year-old and an 11-year-old have now contracted a coronavirus-related "pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome" on Monday. Beshear said the 5-year-old has since been released from a local hospital, and the 11-year-old remains hospitalized.

State leaders had previously announced that a 10-year-old and a 16-year-old had contracted the new syndrome which first appeared in New York.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said the 10-year-old in Kentucky had been put on a ventilator in critical condition due to a COVID-19-related inflammatory syndrome that affects young people. Beshear said that the child has been taken off a ventilator as his condition improves. The 16-year-old had been released from the hospital.

Stack said symptoms of this immune system syndrome vary and appear weeks after the child recovers from COVID-19. Possible symptoms include fever, rash, abdominal pain mimicking appendicitis, gastrointestinal problems and respiratory problems.

Stack advises parents call the Kentucky Pediatric Hotline at (800) 722-5725 for questions and more information.

What else opens in Kentucky this week?

Restaurants can reopen at 33% capacity with outdoor seating starting Friday.

Beshear said bars will likely remain closed until July because it's harder to regulate social distancing inside bars than in restaurants, but bars can still operate as restaurants by offering food service at tables outside.

Additionally, the governor's restrictions on interstate travel will expire Friday.

TIMELINE: Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana reopening plans

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear gave an update Friday on COVID-19 cases and plans to reopen dining rooms across the commonwealth.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

Restaurants reopen Friday

Restaurants across Kentucky reopened at 33% dine-in capacity plus outdoor seating Friday. Restaurants have been instructed to limit parties to 10 or fewer guests, and to separate tables by at least six feet. Employees will be required to wear masks while interacting with customers.

The state also advises that restaurants use disposable menus, napkins, table cloths, disposable utensils and condiments when possible. Self-serve buffets and salad bars will also be closed if employees cannot offer buffet service.

Restaurants must also create mask policies for customers, which may include refusing to serve guests who aren't wearing a face mask while away from their table or around others.

For more guidelines for restaurants and customers, click here.

Beshear said bars will remain closed until July because it's harder to regulate social distancing inside bars than in restaurants, but bars can still operate as restaurants by offering food service at tables outside.

Additionally, the governor's restrictions on interstate travel expired Friday.

On Thursday, Beshear added new dates for reopening horse parks, auctions, large-group gatherings and more. See WCPO's timeline for the full list of event reopenings in Kentucky and around the Tri-State.

TIMELINE: Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana reopening plans

Voting in Kentucky's primary

Sec. of State Michael Adams unveiled a new web portal where Kentuckians can check their voter registration status and request absentee ballots for the primary elections.

There are four ways to vote in Kentucky: in-person on election day, June 23; in-person early voting before June 8; absentee by mail; and absentee ballots returned to your local elections board before election day.

Since the state is "not able" to mail ballots to everyone automatically, Sec. of State Michael Adams said those who want an absentee ballot to either mail back or return to local elections boards can visit GoVoteKy.com.

“It makes it easy to vote, and it makes it hard to cheat,” Adams said.

You can check your voter status and update your information at Elect.Ky.Gov. Both sites are mobile-friendly, Adams said.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, May 26. The deadline to request a primary absentee ballot is June 15.

MORE: Kentucky gets in line with mail-in voting

Case numbers and testing

Beshear reported five new virus-related deaths Friday, and there have been 391 virus-related deaths among 8,426 total positive COVID-19 cases statewide. NKY Health reported 1,065 total local cases and 57 virus-related deaths as of Thursday.

More than 3,000 people have recovered from coronavirus, and more than 171,338 people have been tested so far. Beshear said though 40 virus-related deaths have been reported in just three days, the numbers continue to show a "plateauing" of cases.

A free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site will remain open in Erlanger at 25 Atlantic Ave this week. You can call 1-800-737-7900 to schedule an appointment.

For a complete list of coronavirus testing sites in Kentucky, click here.

Childcare reopening in June

Cabinet of Health and Family Services Sec. Eric Friedlander announced Thursday that in-home daycare will be able to open June 8, with center-based licensed childcare resuming June 15.

Friedlander said daycares would have to follow new guidelines, including staggering playground time, eliminating centerwide family events and field trips, and using centralized pick up/drop off locations to reduce exposure.

All adults and children over age 5 are asked to wear masks in childcare centers, Friedlander said.

For more guidelines on childcare and resources for parents, click here.

Ky. to distribute $300M in CARES funds

City and county governments across Kentucky can apply for part of $300 million in CARES Act funding for coronavirus response starting Thursday.

To apply, local governments with COVID-19-related expenses from March 1, 2020 to Dec. 30, 2020 must complete an application with expense documentation. These expenses can include personal protective equipment, food delivery to nursing homes and vulnerable populations, necessary telework and communications improvements, and others.

“Local governments have been instrumental in the fight against COVID-19 and are a lifeline in our local communities,” Beshar said.

Local governments must apply with the expense documentation on DLG’s website. Funding will be allocated to governments based on population size.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — After testing negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear reported 1,163 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the highest daily case count Kentucky has seen so far.

Earlier this week, the governor reported that a computer glitch had delayed new case reports from reaching the state to be counted.

“The most accurate thing we can do in the way that we’ve reported is that when they are processed by us, they go onto the site. So today, we’ve set a record that we didn’t want to set -- we never wanted to get over 1,000 cases," he said.

Kentucky reports 36,945 total COVID-19 cases and 790 virus-related deaths. More than 8,819 people have recovered from the virus.

NKY Health reports that 3,265 people across Boone, Kenton, Campbell and Grant counties have tested positive for COVID-19, and 85 people have reportedly died of the virus. The health department reports 849 active cases, and 2,331 people who have recovered from coronavirus as of Wednesday.

Kentucky's positivity rate has fallen slightly from 6% to 5.62%, and the state has now administered more than 711,017 coronavirus tests.

Gov. urges schools delay in-person start

On Monday, Beshear recommended delaying the start of in-person classes in Kentucky until Sept. 28. Beshear called opening schools while cases continue to rise “something that would defy logic, something that wouldn’t be safe to do.”

“Let’s be smart about this. All we’re asking for right now: one month. One month to not make mistakes with our children, their parents or their teachers," he said Wednesday.

The decision to open K-12 classrooms or keep students at home still rests with local school districts. In Northern Kentucky, Kenton County Schools, Covington Independent Public Schools and Fort Thomas Independent Schools have altered their plans and moved instruction online during the first six weeks of school

On Tuesday, the Diocese of Covington joined Lexington and Louisville in their decision to start in-person classes before September.

“I disagree with their decision, I don’t believe it’s safe. We just had 1,100 cases,” Beshear said, adding that Kentucky hasn’t had a chance to see results of the mistakes other states’ schools have had as they reopen "too early."

Aside from rising virus cases and positivity rate, Beshear said his recommendation aims to prevent interruptions that other states' school systems have seen, like the shutdowns required when coronavirus breaks out in those schools.

“If you come back for three days and then have to stop, and then have to get distance learning going, it might hurt your students even more," he said.

In addition, Beshear said some Kentucky families continue to go on beach vacations to COVID-19 hotspots in Florida and South Carolina, a factor which could further spread the virus as children return to school.

Beshear expressed concern last week that if the state's coronavirus positivity rate does not fall soon, school reopenings might be pushed back from the third week of August to a later date.

“I am for getting our kids safely back into in-person classes, even during this pandemic. It’s just getting them back at the height of the pandemic I think would be irresponsible," he said.

Travel advisory updated

On Wednesday, Beshear updated his travel advisory, which recommends a two-week self-quarantine for Kentuckians who travel to states and U.S. territories reporting a coronavirus positivity rate equal to or greater than 15%.

Those states now include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

Free testing in NKY this week

In Northern Kentucky, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Covington's Gravity Diagnostics now offers free, appointment-only drive-thru testing at 25 Atlantic Ave in Erlanger. The site, the former Toyota HQ building off Mineola Pike, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You will be able to collect your own sample without leaving your vehicle and receive results within three to five days.

Additionally, appointment-only drive-up testing will be available through St. E at 7200 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria, starting Tuesday, Aug. 11. The free testing site will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Schedule an appointment at those sites online at www.stelizabeth.com/covid-testing.

To find all coronavirus testing locations near you, click here.

Bars reopen with 10 p.m. service cutoff

Effective Tuesday, Beshear announced a new mandate to increase capacity for bars and restaurants to reopen at 50%, emphasizing the importance of restaurants to prioritize outdoor seating.

To reopen, bars and restaurants must observe a food and beverage service "cutoff" at 10 p.m., with establishments closing by 11 p.m.

Bars can expect to have an "enforced seating" rule, and bar patrons should expect to have an assigned seat in a bar and that they should sit in that seat unless making a trip to the restroom. All service and orders should take place at the table with the group or party that people come to the establishment with.

All employees and patrons must wear masks when not eating or drinking, and no one is allowed to congregate at the bar.

The update mirrors a similar practice mandated in Ohio at the end of July.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky unveiled the rest of its plan to vaccinate its citizens against COVID-19 on Monday.

The state is still working to vaccinate long-term care residents and staff as well as frontline healthcare workers in "Phase 1a." People age 70 and older, first responders and K-12 school personnel will be vaccinated next in "Phase 1b," and that could start by February.

Kentucky unveiled its remaining vaccine phases on Monday: 1c includes anyone age 60 and older, anyone 16 and older with a high-risk medical condition, and all essential workers; Phase 2 includes anyone over age 40; Phase 3 includes anyone older than 16; Phase 4 includes children under 16, provided that the FDA approves a vaccine for children.

Team Kentucky

Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday expressed his dissatisfaction with how fast Kentucky, along with the rest of the country, is currently distributing initial shipments of COVID-19 vaccines.

Kentucky was allocated about 202,000 COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna in December, with another 57,000 doses expected to arrive early this week. As of Sunday, Kentucky has administered about 60,400 vaccines.

“I’m not OK with the pace at which they are currently being provided," the governor said.

Going forward, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said Kentucky hopes to administer 90% of all vaccines received within seven days of arrival, and to vaccinate "more than half of every interested Kentuckian" by June.

To do this, Kentucky will allow vaccination sites to give shots to patients in lower tiers if those sites have no upper-tier vaccinations scheduled. This is to make sure all vaccines are used in a more efficient manner, Stack said.

"We're still going to prioritize and start at the top of the pyramid every week. We're going to ask every site, schedule your vaccine for people who are at the highest tiers, but the goal is not to have it wait and hang over until the next week. It's to administer it, use it, and then when you get the next shipment, start over again," Stack said.

Health officials are still working on vaccination site plans, locations and an appointment scheduling system, Stack said.

COVID-19 positivity rate jumps

Kentucky's COVID-19 positivity rate rose to 11.18% Monday, up from 8.41% last week. Beshear attributed the "concerning" jump in virus positivity to more asymptomatic cases and cases spreading at Christmas gatherings, though it is still too early to tell if New Year's gatherings will have a similar effect.

The governor reported 2,319 new coronavirus cases and 26 virus-related deaths on Monday, including two people from Boone County, four women and a man from Campbell County, two men in Grant County, and seven people from Kenton County.

Since March, 279,143 COVID-19 cases and 2,749 virus-related deaths have been reported in Kentucky.

Hospitalizations increased Monday, with 1,737 Kentuckians currently hospitalized for COVID-19, 456 people in intensive care units and 216 on ventilators.

The state's coronavirus fatality rate, the proportion of people who die out of people who test positive for the virus, remains at 0.99%.

Using the state's contact tracing database, NKY Health reports 2,728 active coronavirus cases in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, and 21,306 people have recovered from the virus as of Monday. Since the pandemic began, 167 Northern Kentuckians have died from the virus.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers grabbed the quarterback role to direct the response to COVID-19, but when it came time to lead, the GOP-led legislature “punted” the decision on mask-wearing in schools to local boards, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

A day after a special legislative session ended, Beshear gave a blistering response to the legislature’s decision to halt statewide mask mandates to combat Kentucky’s worst surge of the coronavirus pandemic. He declared that the legislature “owns this pandemic moving forward.”

The legislature passed bills Thursday that scrapped a statewide mask mandate for public schools and imposed a ban on any statewide mask rules until June 2023. Beshear vetoed the mask-related language, but Republican lawmakers overrode him before ending their three-day session.

Beshear used the football analogy to slam the legislature’s actions, especially in nullifying the state school board’s requirement that anyone in public K-12 schools wear a mask. The Republican-backed measure shifted masking decisions to local school boards.

“The masking decision the General Assembly made was wrong. And it was also a punt,” Beshear told reporters. “I’ve been willing to make the calls, to take the hits, to make the plays. And the legislature asked to go in ... at QB. And what did they do? They punted on first down. When you’re in charge, it means you’ve got to make the decision. This one was to push the decision to others.”

The governor said he would have ordered mask-wearing in indoor public places if he still had the authority to do so. The special session marked a power shift in the state’s response to the virus.

Republican lawmakers asserted their new dominance in setting Kentucky’s pandemic policies — the result of a state Supreme Court ruling last month. The court cleared the way for GOP-backed laws to take effect, limiting the governor’s emergency powers to impose virus restrictions. The governor responded by calling the legislature into session.

Before the court ruling, Beshear acted unilaterally in setting statewide virus policies, saying his actions saved lives. Republicans branded his actions as overly broad and stringent.

Supporters of ending the statewide school mask requirement said those decisions are best left to local school boards, to reflect the will of their communities. They said they have confidence in the ability of local school leaders to set those rules.

Beshear said Friday the ban on blanket masking requirements comes at a dangerous time, as the delta variant puts record numbers of virus patients in Kentucky hospitals and intensive care units.

Asked what his message would be to school districts, the governor made the case for local masking requirements. It’s the “best way” to keep children learning in classrooms, he said.

“There is only one decision, one right answer, where you don’t endanger children and your entire community,” he said. “This thing is burning through Kentucky like nothing that we have ever seen.”

Many lawmakers weren’t wearing masks when they voted to block statewide masking rules — which the governor noted at his news conference Friday.

“You can’t say you’re pro-mask while refusing to wear one in a crowded room,” he said.

Beshear praised other actions taken during the special session, including the extension of the pandemic-related state of emergency. That continues a number of actions taken by the governor to combat COVID-19. Examples include waiving licensing requirements for out-of-state medical providers and preventing price gouging.

The legislature also passed a measure to appropriate more than $69 million in federal funds for pandemic-related efforts. The funds are aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing for health care providers, schools, health departments and correctional facilities.

And lawmakers voted to tap into budget reserves to offer lucrative incentives to try to land economic development projects topping $2 billion. Beshear, who requested the measure, has said the state is pursuing at least five projects of that magnitude.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Starting next week, Kentucky will have 291 COVID-19 vaccination sites open statewide at regional hubs, non-regional sites, health departments, and Kroger and Walmart sites, plus Walgreens and independent pharmacies.

Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday announced three new vaccination sites that will open in Northern Kentucky next week:

You can find a full list of vaccination sites on this interactive map.

Kentucky is currently in vaccine phase 1B, focusing on people age 70 and older, first responders, K-12 school staff and childcare providers.

Nearly 556,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Kentucky since December.

Some nursing home visitation restrictions relaxed

Kentucky will allow indoor visitation to resume for non-Medicare certified long-term care facilities -- including assisted living, personal care, intermediate care for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and independent living -- for those who have been fully vaccinated.

Visitors must test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the scheduled visit. These visits will be limited to one individual, or two if they are from the same household.

Group activities, communal dining and visitation among long-term care facility residents will also resume for vaccinated individuals in non-certified care. First doses have been offered to all residents and staff at Kentucky’s long-term care facilities, and more than 83,000 have received at least one dose.

“What this means, is once someone is better protected from this disease, we want them to be able to see their loved ones,” Beshear said.

The new visitation protocols start Saturday.

The loosening of visitation restrictions does not apply to Medicare certified long-term care facilities, Beshear said. Kentucky still needs approval and guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) before relaxing restrictions for certified facilities.

COVID-19 cases continue decline

Beshear reported 963 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest daily case count since October. The governor also reported 37 deaths, including a 101-year-old woman from Kenton County.

Since March, 392,729 Kentuckians have tested positive for COVID-19 and 4,373 have died of the virus. The state's test positivity rate rose to 7.07%, and new COVID-19 cases have declined for five straight weeks.

Hospitalizations have been on the decline for several weeks. Currently, 935 Kentuckians are hospitalized for COVID-19, with 260 people in intensive care units and 130 on ventilators. Kentucky's coronavirus fatality rate has risen to 1.10%.

Using the state's contact tracing database, NKY Health reports 2,003 active coronavirus cases in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, and 35,179 people have recovered from the virus as of Thursday. Since the pandemic began, 247 Northern Kentuckians have died from the virus.

As of Monday, there are also four confirmed cases of a more contagious variant of COVID-19 in Kentucky, four in Northern Kentucky and one in Jefferson County. The first two cases, both out of Kenton County, were first reported Jan. 26.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s governor urged people to keep following health guidance to combat COVID-19 as the state reported more than 900 new coronavirus cases and 27 more virus-related deaths Wednesday.

“While our new cases have decreased dramatically since their peak in the commonwealth, these numbers are still too high,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.

“We are close to the finish line but we can’t let up yet,” he added. “Keep masking up, keep social distancing and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Let’s see this through to the end of the fight.”

The state reported 963 new COVID-19 cases, lifting the number of total cases past 418,000 in Kentucky since the pandemic began. The state’s death toll from the virus reached at least 5,056.

Kentucky’s rate of positive cases declined to 3.73%, the governor said.

More than 400 virus patients are hospitalized in Kentucky, including 109 in intensive care units.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The rate of positive coronavirus cases fell again in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

Beshear’s office reported 744 new COVID-19 cases and a positivity rate of 2.79%.

“It’s encouraging to see our positivity rate decrease again, but we need to work even harder to make sure our weekly case numbers start decreasing again as well,” Beshear said in a news release. “Every Kentuckian 16 and older should get their COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. It’s fast, it’s safe, it’s easy and you could save a life by doing so, maybe even your own life.”

Nine deaths were reported Friday, including five that occurred previously as the state continues auditing to find a comprehensive count of virus-related deaths. A total of 6,223 people have died since the pandemic began.