Five New COVID-19 Cases, Four New Recoveries While Supreme Court Temporarily Upholds All Executive Orders

Executive Orders Remain In Place Until Supreme Court Can Hear Full Arguments

Darren Doyle, story:
It's been somewhat of a quiet week in Edmonson County with relation to COVID-19 cases, with a rise in total cases of 5, (84) and four new recoveries (63), according to the Barren River District Health Department. The death toll determined from the virus remained steady this week at 12.

Across the district,  total cases rose by 240 to 2,808 while recoveries rose by 225 (2,283). There were also 7 more deaths in the district this week, according to the BRDHD.

Across Kentucky, according to the Governor's office, cases are still on the rise as the total number rose by 2,935 (21,605 total) with recoveries totaling 6772, an increase from last week of 1,514. The statewide death toll from COVID-19 rose from 620 to 658 this week.

The Governor's Office also announced today that the Kentucky Supreme Court has kept all executive orders in place that are related to COVID-19, including the mask order, until the court can hear full arguments from the Beshear administration and the attorney general’s office and issue a final ruling.

In an order issued this afternoon by unanimous decision, the Supreme Court stated, “Given the need for a clear and consistent statewide public health policy and recognizing that the Kentucky legislature has expressly given the Governor broad executive powers in a public health emergency, the court orders a stay of all orders of injunctive relief until such time as the various orders are properly before the court with a full record of any evidence and pleadings considered by the lower courts.”

“Up until an hour ago, we faced a horribly uncertain future where a request had been made to have zero rules, the Wild West,” Beshear said on the ruling. “No requirements to wear a mask even though Alabama and Colorado have both done it in the last couple of days. Without requiring businesses to do the cleaning that would make sure that you don’t catch COVID-19. Without the requirement to even wash or sanitize your hands. It threatened all of the extra support that we’ve given to our first responders and it would be devastate our school systems.”

Attorney General Daniel Cameron discussed the court's decision on his Twitter account:

"The Supreme Court today indicated it will hear the challenges we and Kentucky businesses raised as to the process used by the Governor to issue COVID-19 executive orders," he tweeted. "As important issues are being considered in these cases, we respect the Supreme Court’s decision to maintain these orders until the court can undertake its proceedings. Our goal in joining these cases is that the law is followed and the rights of Kentuckians are protected. We look forward to having the Supreme Court take up these important issues in the coming days."