Governor Beshear says the second round of federal coronavirus relief funding will benefit Kentuckians to the tune of more than $5 billion. During Tuesday’s COVID-19 briefing, the governor spelled out some key facets of the legislation.
The measure includes funds for direct payments, unemployment insurance, rental assistance, and vaccine distribution. Beshear said the $300 million in rental-utility assistance will go a long way toward making sure people stay in their home.
“This one allows not just past rent but certain months of future rent, which wasn’t allowed in the previous CARES ACT. So, I’m very confident based on how the $15 million fund that we ran went, that a $300 million fund ought to help a lot of Kentuckians that are struggling to get out from under bills that have piled up, make it through this pandemic and come out on the other side,” said Beshear.
Beshear said the state plans to push the rental assistance program out broadly across the Commonwealth. The governor also announced the mask mandate has once again been extended. The moratorium on evictions is also extended through the end of January.
Beshear admits it will likely be several months away, but he’s looking to a day when vaccinations will be widely available across the state. “My hope is that we reach a point where, just like testing, we said, we need you to wait. We need to prioritize this group and then suddenly we were at the place where everybody that wants one, come get one. I hope we get there as quickly as we can but no easy answers,” explained Beshear.
The governor reported 2,990 new coronavirus cases Tuesday along with 31 more deaths. The positivity rate rose to 8.4%. But, Beshear said it’s too soon to say if that’s reflecting a true uptick in spread. The governor announced updates will be given over the New Year’s Holiday, but that the next formal briefing would be held next Monday.
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