Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) provided updated guidance on Monday, urging more mask-wearing — even among certain vaccinated people — and calling on everyone who is eligible for a vaccine to get the shot “immediately.”

Beshear provided an update along with Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, on Monday and spoke about concerns over the delta variant.

“We have the most aggressive variant that we have seen to date in our battle against COVID. It’s a serious, even deadly, threat to unvaccinated Kentuckians,” Beshear said, warning that the lack of vaccinations is contributing to the problem.

“If more adults don’t get vaccinated, it’s not just adults who pay the price. It’s our kids who will. Many of them can’t get vaccinated yet, and they count on us to make good decisions and do the right thing,” he added.

As a result, both Beshear and Stack released updated guidance for unvaccinated Kentuckians, as well as for those who are in jobs “that require consistent contact with the public.”

They say all unvaccinated Kentuckians should wear a mask when outside of their homes, and vaccinated Kentuckians “in jobs with significant public exposure should consider wearing a mask at work.”

“Vaccinated Kentuckians with jobs where you are exposed to a ton of people each day, if you work in hospitality, if you work in a restaurant, if you work in retail, and there are many more,” Beshear said on Monday.
“I’m not picking on any industry. Just where the individuals come in contact with a lot of people, we are recommending at this point that you wear a mask,” he added.

Furthermore, both officials said all unvaccinated Kentuckians, “when eligible, should be vaccinated immediately.”

Per his office:

  • All unvaccinated Kentuckians should wear masks indoors when not in their home;
  • Kentuckians at higher risk from COVID-19 due to pre-existing conditions should wear masks indoors when not in their home;
  • Vaccinated Kentuckians in jobs with significant public exposure should consider wearing a mask at work; and
  • All unvaccinated Kentuckians, when eligible, should be vaccinated immediately.

“Getting vaccinated is a choice. We’ve said that all along. It’s your choice. It’s an incredibly important choice,” Stack said, warning people they are making a “dangerous” choice if they choose not to get vaccinated:

It’s a choice that should you choose to get vaccinated, you protect yourself and also all the others who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated because the more of us who are vaccinated, the less the virus is able to spread, to infect people and to hurt people. If you choose not to get vaccinated, that is your choice as well, but it is a particularly dangerous choice.

According to Beshear, over 2.2 million Kentuckians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 61 percent overall have been vaccinated.