There are no real details on how this is executive order is to be enforced, but Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is mandating that you must wear a mask if you are out in public.
Amid "an explosion of COVID," all Kentuckians must wear masks in public starting Friday at 5 p.m., Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday.
The executive order, signed Thursday, will last 30 days, Beshear said, and will be enforced by health departments.
Exceptions will be kids under five, people with breathing health problems and people exercising while social distancing.
"It's time to get serious," Beshear said, citing health expert advice. The Center for Disease Control has said masks "are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings" but should not be worn by children under 2 or anyone who has breathing problems.
After weeks of plateau, Kentucky's coronavirus cases began rising recently with a seven-day average reaching a state record on Wednesday. Daily average cases increased by 87% in the last three weeks and weekly death averages reached 5.3, the highest since last month.
I’m all for this. I’m just wondering how it will be enforced. This has been on my mind because I have noticed that there are more than a few people not wearing masks when I go to the grocery or the laundromat (wasing machine bit the dust and other issues prevent easy replacement for now). And while many of those idiots/selfish bastards are white, I have noticed that a significant number of non-mask wearers are also black.
This has really blown my mind. I’m in a red state filled with Trump supporters, which means they are ignorant, selfish, and stupid. And mostly white. Therefore, when I see white non-mask wearers, I get depressed and angry and think about all those videos of screaming Trump supporters about “FREEDOM!” But I expect that now.
But black Kentuckians not wearing masks? WTF is that about? Kentucky has the same bad statistics that you see all over the U.S.: black Kentuckians die at twice the rate of white people from the coronavirus.
Can someone explain this phenomenon to me?
And it is not just Kentucky. My sister is a doctor in Tennessee, and she is seeing white and black people there not wearing masks. And she informs me that Tennessee makes it easy to obtain a mask for free. I have not heard if Kentucky has the same type of programs — probably not, but you can get a mask in Tennessee. Yet, both black and white people in Tennessee are blithe about the coronavirus.
Sorry for that rant, but I have been thinking about this because I’m turning 57 and have high blood pressure and borderline diabetes. And I have a 91 year old diabetic Mom to take care of. I’m not trying to start any clash with regards to race. But if there was a communicable disease that say targeted white males and you could fight it by wearing a mask, it is a no brainer for me.