Oct. 12 (UPI) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he and his family will quarantine after coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a recorded statement on Sunday, Beshear, standing beside his son Will, said “we feel great” and that none of them have tested positive for the virus but they will quarantine to set a good example for all Kentuckians.
“We want to make sure we’re setting the example and keeping other people around us safe — That we’re walking the walk, not just talking the talk,” he said.
He said a member of his security detail who drove him and his family home on Saturday afternoon received a positive coronavirus test later in the day and that they were contacted by contact tracers and informed they needed to be quarantined.
He added that the infected member of his detail was the last person any of them had been in contact with “so thankfully there is no additional exposure that’s related to us.”
His office said in a release that he, his family and the trooper all wore facial coverings, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends quarantine if an individual is within six feet of a positive case for more than 15 minutes.
“The Beshear family will be tested regularly and will remain in quarantine until cleared by [the Kentucky Department of Public Health],” his office said in a statement, adding that he will continue to provide daily COVID-19 updates virtually.
Kentucky has recorded 80,292 cases of the coronavirus, including 852 that were reported by the Democratic governor from quarantine on Sunday.
In the past week, the state has recorded 7,675 infections, up more than 1,500 from a week prior, representing its worst seven days amid the pandemic.
Three deaths were also reported Sunday, increasing the state’s total lives lost to 1,252.
