16 cases in two days; CCES will close next week

Six new cases of COVID-19 have been reported here today as Crittenden County moves into the so-called Red Zone on the state’s color-coded pandemic map. That means local elementary school students who spent this week attending in-person classes will be homebound next week.

All students will now be on virtual learning plans for the remainder of the term. In-person classes are expected to resume Jan. 4.

The county has experience a spike in the virus over the past two days with 16 newly diagnosed cases. Among today’s diagnoses are a 3 and 10 year old. 

Over the past seven days, the period of time the state uses to determine each county’s incidence rate, Crittenden has had 28 cases. Since the pandemic began, this county has seen 323 cases of the virus and six deaths related to COVID-19.

The Pennyrile District Health Department also announced six new deaths today, four in Livingston County and two in Caldwell County. In Livingston, the deaths were a 92-year-old male, 88-year-old male, 91-year-old female and a 76-year-old female.

Kentucky's restaurants and bars can reopen to 50-percent in-person dining capacity starting Monday when the executive order that closed them to in-person dining expires. Gov. Andy Beshear made the announcement at Thursday's daily press briefing. See further guidance below.

Crittenden County School District issued the following statement late this afternoon:

Unfortunately, Crittenden County has been updated to "red" today, as indicated by the Kentucky Department for Public Health Covid-19 Dashboard. This means that our elementary school students must return to remote learning next week, Dec. 14-18. Elementary students who are in person learners, however, will continue with in-person learning tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 11. 

To clarify, there will be no in person learning for elementary, middle, or high school students beginning Monday, Dec. 14 until we return from Christmas break on Jan. 5.  

We will share information with you about next week's feeding plan tomorrow. Getting our students back to in person learning is a community effort, and we appreciate your help in the weeks to come with continued mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, and personal health monitoring. We thank you, as always, for your flexibility and support.

From the governor's office today:

NEW GUIDANCE STARTING NEXT WEEK

1. Indoor social gatherings are recommended to have no more than eight people from a maximum of two households. There is no recommended limit on the number of people from the same household. There is no limit on outdoor social gatherings.
2. Gyms, fitness centers, pools and other indoor recreation facilities can operate at 50% capacity. Masks must be worn while exercising.
3. Venues, event spaces and theaters can reopen at 50% capacity.
4. Professional services can operate with up to 50% of employees working in-person; however, all employees who are able to work from home must do so.

Gov. Beshear also said that businesses and establishments reopening to Monday need a renewed commitment to the guidelines, such as social distancing and masks. These actions come on the heels of CDC guidance issued last week that people wear masks indoors at all times, except at home. This is the first time the agency has advocated for universal mask use indoors.