FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — When asked about spring break travel during his daily briefing Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear advised Kentuckians who plan to travel to exercise good judgement.
"Parents, if you're going to take school aged children on spring break, don't do anything there that you wouldn't do here," Gov. Beshear said, urging people to avoid large crowds and continue to adhere to health protocols.
The governor added that families who are not adhering to the most stringent protocols should opt for virtual learning when they return from vacation.
"We are too close to the end to mess this thing up," he said.
Dr. Kathleen Winter, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Kentucky, said that while it's fair for immunized people to feel more protected, the variants can still pose a danger.
"Because we know [the variants] are more common in areas where lots of people are traveling and coming from other parts of the world, like these tourist destinations, it's very possible that if we have a lot of people gathering, we will see increased transmission of these particular variants," she said.
Federal health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House Chief Medical Advisor, have warned that variants like B.1.1.7, which originated in the United Kingdom, are becoming more prevalent in the United States.
Florida has so far reported the highest number of cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which is believed to be more transmissible, according to the CDC. Over the weekend, the city of Miami Beach declared a state of emergency and has implemented a 8 p.m. curfew through mid-April, after being overwhelmed by spring breakers. The University of Kentucky canceled its spring break earlier this year.
