Beshear mandates masks statewide. 333 new Kentucky coronavirus cases and 4 deaths.

The wearing of masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 will be mandatory at 5 p.m. Friday in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday after noting the state’s new number of infections has lifted out of its plateau and is on the rise.

The governor announced 333 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing the statewide total to at least 18,245. Four more people with the virus have died, bringing the death toll to 612.

“Folks, we are still in a battle, and it is not going away,” the governor said. “We have a dangerous and deadly virus out there, and we are now seeing a regular increase in cases in Kentucky.”

“It’s no longer a question: a mask helps to stop the spread,” he said. Wearing a facial covering “is no longer voluntary. It’s mandatory. It’s time to get serious.”

https://www.kentucky.com/news/coronavirus/article244105932.html