LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the state will follow new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for vaccinated individuals and will be changing the state's mask mandate.
The CDC issued guidance Thursday saying fully vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks indoors in most settings. The guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters
Additionally, fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks outdoors in crowds.
"This is outstanding," Beshear said. "It means that we are so close to normalcy and we're going to be changing Kentucky's mask mandate to be the same with those CDC guidelines."
The governor called on unvaccinated Kentuckians to register for open appointments across the state.
"If you get vaccinated, the CDC says it is safe to take that mask off," Beshear said. "So, go on out, get that shot and let's defeat this pandemic once and for all."
As of Wednesday, close to 1.9 million Kentuckians have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The state also expanded eligible to children 12-15 for the Pfizer vaccine.
Earlier this week, the governor announced restriction changes coming to the Commonwealth at the end of May including an end to curfews at bars and restaurants and an expansion to events with less than 1000 people.
Beshear is expected to hold a brief on the updated masking guidance Friday at 10:30 a.m.
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