(LEX 18) — Governor Andy Beshear reported 5,049 new cases of COVID-19 Kentucky on Monday, along with a record-high positivity rate of 26.33%.
14 new deaths were recorded.
Currently, 1,873 people are hospitalized, 452 in ICUs and 238 people are on ventilators.
Due to rising COVID cases, the Governor called in reinforcement for hospitals and revised the guidance for Kentucky schools.
Beshear says he has mobilized the National Guard to help hospitals that are experiencing a greater strain. 445 active guard troops will assist hospitals and food banks across the state.
Dr. Stack walks through guidance for KY schools based off guidance CDC revised late last week. Note that for schools with universal masking, quarantines and contact tracing are NOT needed for at-school exposures. @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/dQTnKvNTc2
— Mike Valente (@ValenteLEX18) January 10, 2022
Dr. Steven Stack shared K-12 school guidance is changing in light of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updating its K-12 isolation and quarantine guidance last week.
“Most importantly, universal masking is essential with omicron," Dr. Stack said. "If universal masking is not required in K-12 schools, omicron will spread rapidly and result in rapid and massive student and staff absences to due illness.”
If a school requires universal masking then it:
- Does not have to do contact tracing within the school population if a positive person is identified in the school population.
- Does not have to quarantine any of the students or staff in the school population due to finding a positive person in the school setting.
In schools that do not require universal masking, the schools are urged to maintain robust contact tracing when positive persons are identified in the school setting and to quarantine all persons not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination if exposed in the school setting.
Regardless of a school’s masking requirements, individuals who test positive should isolate for at least five days.
Individuals who are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination and who are exposed to COVID-19 at home or outside school should quarantine for at least five days unless participating in a test-to-stay modified quarantine program as described by KDPH.
For the full daily COVD-19 report click here.
