KENTUCKY — June 11, 2021 is the date that Kentucky's mask mandate and capacity restrictions will come to an end.

This announcement from Gov. Andy Beshear came just one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance that allows fully vaccinated Americans to stop wearing masks indoors at most places, effectively immediately.

Over the last several months, Kentucky's Department of Agriculature Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles has been a frequent critic of Beshear's handling of the pandemic.

"I think we need some good old fashioned Kentucky common sense. When other states surrounding Kentucky are fully open, or near reopening or had a reopening date already planned, for some reason Kentucky was dragging its feet. A lot of Kentuckians think, want to make sure they take care of each other, we have some common sense, but the restrictions put in place by the Governor, continue to this day. In fact, boards and commissions can meet at full capacity, but if you go to a restaurant right now, they are only allowed to have 75% capacity. I think it's wrong that government can meet at higher capacity rates than private businesses," explains Agriculture Commissioner Quarles.