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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Kentucky)

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Responses by state

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:

Additionally, the article includes:

To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.

Documenting_STATE%27s_path_to_recovery_from_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020-2021


Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

General election changes

Kentucky modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility was extended to all voters "concerned with contracting or spreading COVID-19."

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Primary election changes

Kentucky modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Election postponements: The primary election was postponed from May 19, 2020, to June 23.
  • Voting procedures: Absentee voting eligibility was extended to all voters in the primary election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.


Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4

See also: States with lockdown and stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

On March 25, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) issued Executive Order 2020-257, which directed individuals in Kentucky to stay home except for essential activities and closed nonessential businesses in the state.[6] The order took effect March 26; it did not have a fixed end date. On June 29, Kentucky entered into the final stage of its reopening plan. As a result, the state's stay-at-home order effectively concluded. The order is embedded below.

Executive orders, March 30 through June 29

See also: Executive orders issued by governors and state agencies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


Court closures, March 17 through November 4

See also: State court closures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • August 1, 2020: Criminal jury trials were permitted to resume, so long as the trial judge overseeing the trial determined that conditions were safe enough. Civil jury trials were set to resume October 1.[7]
  • July 28, 2020: Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr. announced that criminal jury trials could resume August 1 and civil jury trials could resume October 1. According to Justice Minton, trial judges will need to determine if conditions are safe, based on local conditions, before trials will be allowed to proceed.[8]
  • May 19, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court extended its suspension of jury trials through August 1. Grand juries were permitted to restart immediately.[9]
  • May 15, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court ordered that effective June 1, courts could resume hearing civil and criminal cases remotely using video or phone conferences. If a judge determined that a proceeding should be held in-person, safety and health precautions should be followed.[10]
  • April 24, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court extended restrictions on in-person proceedings and suspended jury trials through May 31.[11]
  • April 14, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court extended their restrictions on in-person proceedings and suspension of jury trials through May 31.[12]
  • March 27, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court extended their original order limiting in-person court proceedings through April 24.[13]
  • March 12, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court canceled all in-person appearances in the state from March 16 to April 10. Emergency matters, such as domestic violence hearings and evidentiary hearings in criminal cases, were exempt from the order.[14]

Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19

See also: State laws in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Kentucky. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Kentucky General Assembly suspended its session, effective April 8, 2020, through April 13, 2020. The legislature adjourned on April 15, 2020.[15]

Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24

See also: Changes to rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


  • August 25, 2020: Gov. Andy Beshear (D) issued an order lifting the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. The order required landlords to waive late fees accrued since the pandemic began and give tenants 30 days notice before beginning eviction proceedings.[16]
  • August 1, 2020: Eviction proceedings were allowed to resume due to a July 27 order by the Kentucky Supreme Court. Gov. Andy Beshear's (D) moratorium on evictions remained in place, however.[17]
  • July 27, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court issued an order allowing evictions proceedings to resume August 1. Gov. Andy Beshear's (D) moratorium on evictions remained in place, however.
  • April 14, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court, in their order extending restrictions on in-person proceedings, stated that eviction filings would not be accepted until 30 days after the expiration of Gov. Andy Beshear's (D) March 25 order. In his order, Gov. Beshear suspended evictions in the state for the duration of the state of emergency due to coronavirus.[18]
  • March 25, 2020: Gov. Andy Beshear (D) suspended evictions in the state for the duration of the state of emergency.[19]


Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1

See also: State and local governments that released prison inmates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • April 23, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court issued an order setting an emergency administrative release schedule to expedite the release of certain pre-trial defendants. The emergency release schedule will be implemented through May 31.[20]
  • April 14, 2020: The Kentucky Supreme Court issued a new emergency release schedule and emergency drug-testing schedule which temporarily expanded their Administrative Release Program. Kentucky's Administrative Release Program expedites the pretrial release of low-to-moderate risk defendants charged with nonviolent and nonsexual offenses. The order is in effect through May 31.[21][22]
  • April 2, 2020: Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 186 inmates' sentences were shortened, and indicated that the releases would be the first wave of early releases to help slow the spread of coronavirus. A second wave involved 743 inmates. He stated that all inmates were screened for symptoms of the disease before their release. Inmates also needed a residence to move into and quarantine for 14 days after their release.[23] A few counties have decided to release incarcerated individuals on the local level.[24]


Debate in Kentucky over responses to the coronavirus

See also: Debate in Kentucky over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Kentucky in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.

Status of industries, May 15 through July 31

Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.

  • "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
  • Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
  • A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.

Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures

Kentucky released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on April 29, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on June 30. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery

See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery: June 30, 2020

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced the Healthy At Work reopening plan on April 29. The plan initially took effect May 11, allowing non-essential construction and manufacturing, horse racing, pet grooming and boarding, and office-based businesses to resume operations.

In a press release announcing the plan, Beshear said, “We’ve got to do this right. I believe we can do this right. When we phase back in to work, remember, you don’t need an in-person meeting. Use the telephone. And now that we are starting to open up health care, see your doctor if you need to.”

The state completed the formal plan on June 29 with the reopening of bars and restaurants, public pools, and larger event spaces. The final batch of reopenings also permitted gatherings of up to 50 people.

According to the reopening plan, the following benchmarks were considered in deciding to reopen:

  • 14 days of decreasing cases
  • Increased testing capacity on contact tracing
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) availability
  • Ability to protect at-risk populations
  • Ability to social distance and follow the CDC's guidelines on large gatherings
  • Preparedness for possible future spike
  • Status of vaccine and treatment

Context

  • Kentucky’s statewide stay-at-home order took effect on March 26. The order did not have a fixed end date. Its provisions began to lapse when the state began its reopening process on May 11. On June 29, Kentucky reached the end of its formal reopening plan, marking the effective end of the stay-at-home order.
  • As of June 29, there had been 14,835 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky and 557 confirmed deaths. A total of 394,773 residents had been tested, amounting to a positive test rate of 3.8%. As of July 2019, Kentucky’s estimated population was 4.5 million. Per 100,000 residents, there have been 329.7 confirmed positives, 12.4 confirmed deaths, and 8772.7 total tests.
  • Kentucky has a divided government, with a Democratic governor and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Plan details

General guidance
Individuals
Kentuckians were encouraged to:

  • Stay home as much as possible
  • Observe 6-feet social distancing
  • Wear masks per CDC guidance

Businesses
All open businesses are required to comply with the following minimum requirements:

  • Enforce Social Distancing (six (6) feet or more)
  • Universal masking
  • Provide Adequate Hand Sanitizer and Encourage Hand Washing
  • Ensure Proper Sanitation
  • Conduct Daily Temperature/Health checks

Reopening timeline
The below timeline details Kentucky’s reopening process. Click on each date to view the relevant reopening order.

May 9, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Places of worship

May 11, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Non-essential construction
    • Horse racing venues (no fans permitted)
    • Non-essential manufacturing and distribution
    • Office-based businesses
    • Pet grooming and boarding
    • Photography
    • Vehicle dealerships

May 18, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Government offices and agencies

May 20, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Funeral and memorial services
    • Non-essential retail

May 22, 2020

  • The following changes to individual restrictions took effect:
    • Gatherings of up to 10 people permitted
    • Travel restrictions ended
  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Dine-in restaurant services (33% capacity)

May 25, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open at 33% capacity:
    • Barbershops and hair salons
    • Beauty parlors
    • Massage parlors
    • Tanning salons
    • Tattoo parlors

June 1, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Auctions
    • Auto and dirt tracks
    • Aquatic centers
    • Bowling alleys
    • Fishing tournaments
    • Gyms and fitness centers
    • Kentucky State Park lodges
    • Movie theaters
    • Salato Wildlife Education Center

June 8, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Aquariums
    • Distilleries
    • Indoor entertainment (like arcades, laser tag venues, roller skating rinks)
    • Libraries
    • Outdoor attractions
    • Museums
    • Horse shows
    • In-home childcare programs

June 10, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Places of worship (capacity increased to 50%)

June 11, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Kentucky Horse Park
    • Kentucky State Park campgrounds
    • Vehicle dealerships (capacity increased to 50%)

June 15, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Center-based childcare programs and day camps
    • Low-touch youth sports

June 18, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Government offices and agencies (capacity increased to 50%)

June 20, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open at increased, 50% capacity:
    • Funeral and memorial services
    • Non-essential retail

June 22, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Dine-in restaurant services (capacity increased to 50%)

June 25, 2020

  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open at increased, 50% capacity:
    • Barbershops and hair salons
    • Beauty parlors
    • Massage parlors
    • Tanning salons
    • Tattoo parlors

June 29, 2020

  • The following changes to individual restrictions took effect:
    • Gatherings of up to 50 people permitted
  • The following businesses and services were allowed to open:
    • Bars
    • Public swimming and bathing facilities
    • Event venues
    • Youth sports (high-touch sports like football, soccer, and lacrosse can resume practices)

Reactions

  • On April 15, Scott Hofstra, spokesman for the United Kentucky Tea Party, said Kentucky was not reopening quickly enough. He said, “People are frustrated, and they're not having input on this at all because the governor is dictating. … The governor is putting a higher priority on locking the entire state down for a virus that, as of a day or so ago, had a death rate that is 1/6th of the traffic accidents in Kentucky.”
  • On May 4, La Tasha Buckner, Beshear’s chief of staff, said waiting to reopen based on the Healthy At Work criteria was necessary to public health and would allow the state to make steadier reopening progress. She said, “It’s important that you meet these guidelines, these requirements, because it allows us to be healthy at work. That allows us the successful reopening and to make sure we’re making advancements and staying at the plateau level and hopefully declining.”

Coronavirus resources

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

State resources

Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.

Federal resources

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "November 3 General Election Plan Highlights," accessed August 17, 2020
  2. ↑ Office of the Governor of Kentucky, "Governor Beshear, Secretary of State Adams Reach Agreement on General Election Procedures," August 14, 2020
  3. ↑ Office of the Governor of Kentucky, "Executive Order No. 2020-296," April 24, 2020
  4. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Secretary of State recommends delaying Kentucky’s primary election until June amid COVID-19," March 16, 2020
  5. ↑ CNN, "Kentucky secretary of state says primary postponed," March 16, 2020
  6. ↑ Governor of Kentucky, "Executive Order 2020-257," accessed April 1, 2020
  7. ↑ Courier Journal, "Jury trials and evictions are back, Kentucky Supreme Court says in new COVID-19 order," July 28, 2020
  8. ↑ Courier Journal, "Jury trials and evictions are back, Kentucky Supreme Court says in new COVID-19 order," July 28, 2020
  9. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," May 20, 2020
  10. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," May 18, 2020
  11. ↑ Supreme Court of Kentucky, "Amended Order IN RE: KENTUCKY COURT OF JUSTICE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY," April 24, 2020
  12. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirsus and the Courts," April 15, 2020
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Mar27courts
  14. ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer, "Kentucky courts close 'with the exception of emergency matters' amid COVID-19 concerns," March 12, 2020
  15. ↑ The Lebanon Enterprise, "General Assembly pulls together to pass a state budget," April 8, 2020
  16. ↑ WDRB, "Kentucky governor lifts eviction moratorium, sets up new hurdles for landlords," August 24, 2020
  17. ↑ WKYUFM, "Courts To Determine Whether Kentuckians Can Be Evicted During Pandemic," August 4, 2020
  18. ↑ Supreme Court of Kentucky, "2020-22 Amended Order RE: Kentucky Court of Justice Response to COVID-19 Emergency," April 14, 2020
  19. ↑ Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, "Kentucky's Response to COVID-19," March 25, 2020
  20. ↑ Supreme Court of Kentucky, "Amended Order - IN RE: KENTUCKY COURT OF JUSTICE EMERGENCY RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR PRETRIAL DEFENDANTS AND EMERGENCY PRETRIAL DRUG TESTING STANDARDS IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY," April 23, 2020
  21. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," April 15, 2020
  22. ↑ K105, "KY SUPREME COURT EXPANDS INMATE RELEASE PROGRAM, EXTENDS NO IN-PERSON PROCEEDINGS ORDER," April 15, 2020
  23. ↑ Courier Journal, "Kentucky to release 186 inmates as coronavirus cases rapidly increase; 700 more up next," April 2, 2020
  24. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader "KY inmate tested for COVID-19, others quarantined as critics urge prisoner releases," March 30, 2020
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