Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, in a news conference this afternoon, has ordered that all public facing businesses that encourage public congregation should close by 5pm, Wednesday, March 18th.

Among the business affected by this order: hair salons, nail salons, movie theatres, gyms, concert venues, sports venues, spas and entertainment and recreation facilities.  The order is for the list of businesses that cannot fulfill the current recommended CDC guidelines that dictate social distancing and greatly limit crowd capacity.

The primary focus of today's directives are aimed at entertainment and recreational facilities.

A variety of other establishments will not be affected.  Among them- grocery stores, auto repair shops, pharmacies, gas stations, veterinary offices, and retail establishments.  In fact, malls will be able to remain open, for now.  However, those establishments must remove seating in their food courts.

This afternoon's order followed yesterday's announcement, which ordered restaurants and bars in the Commonwealth to close their dining rooms to the public.  Those businesses are allowed to continue carryout, drive-thru and delivery services.

If you'd like to learn more about Kentucky's approach in dealing with COVID-19, CLICK HERE!

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