 It's the most wonderful time of the year, and to make it even better, the Applier Holiday Sale starts now with great deals on select Samsung devices. The best devices, like the Note 20 Ultra, are up to $400 off all month long, while supplies last. We are you. We are Applier Wireless. There is light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to make sure that as many people can get there. And we're going to do that because we are not going to surrender to this virus. We're going to fight back because we care about one another. As promised, Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday announced new steps to take on the surge in the coronavirus pandemic. Outlining a comprehensive plan, he says, is not aimed at shutting down the economy, but in restricting activities where the danger of spread is the greatest. The new mandates include shutting down all public and private schools in the state and converting them to online learning beginning on Monday. The elementary schools can reopen after December 7th if they are not in a red county. Middle schools and high schools will remain closed until January 4th. Closing bars and restaurants to indoor service, carryout, delivery and outside seating can continue. The Governor also announced a $40 million fund to provide $10,000 grants to help small independent establishments. Limiting gyms and fitness centers to 33% capacity and requiring masks, all group classes are prohibited. A maximum of eight people at private gatherings consisting of people in one household plus one more household. Limiting public venues to a maximum attendance of 25 people. And finally, businesses are being encouraged to allow employees to work remotely and to close to the public if possible. With the exception of the school closings, the restrictions are limited to three weeks. So look, none of these decisions are easy. I can tell you, none of them are going to be popular. But now is the time we make the decision and whether we are going to let our fellow Kentuckians become sick and more of them die or we are going to take a stand against the third wave of this virus. The latest numbers show more than 2,700 new cases reported on Wednesday, raising the total to nearly 145,000. Bashir noted that the top five days of new cases have all occurred in the past week. Fifteen more Kentuckians have died, bringing the death toll to 1,712. More than 1,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, including 359 in intensive care and 176 on ventilators. The state's positivity rate is now 9.13%.