Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday updated Kentuckians on the state’s efforts to fight COVID-19. The Governor also spoke about his plan to address racial disparities in health care and a proposal to hold the Kentucky State Fair.

J. Michael Brown, secretary for the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, followed the Governor’s COVID-19 updated with new information on the Kentucky State Police investigation into the death of David McAtee.

Gov. Beshear on Tuesday offered more details about an effort he is launching to address racial disparities in health care in the commonwealth.

“I believe that health care is a basic human right. I made a pledge that we would work to sign up every Kentuckian for some form of health coverage,” the Governor said.

He noted that he took early steps to rescind the previous administrations Medicaid waiver, which would have taken coverage from 90,000 people. In addition, Gov. Beshear also made a budget proposal for health care coverage for children, but the legislature did not include that in the budget.

“COVID-19 has shown us where our health care priorities need to be, in terms of where we begin providing this type of coverage,” the Governor said. “Our African-American population is dying at twice the rate than is forecasted by population.”

He said nearly 20,000 black Kentuckians lack health insurance.

“We have an obligation to make sure that members of our African-American communities are able to sign up for health care coverage right away,” Gov. Beshear said. “There is long history of racial inequality in health care. The coronavirus is making that more clear than ever.”

He said his goal is to make sure that everybody has coverage either through Medicaid, expanded Medicaid or the private market.

J. Michael Brown, secretary for the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, spoke Tuesday about the ongoing investigation into the shooting death of David McAtee.

“The Kentucky State Police is going to do a frame-by-frame review, that’s going to be more than 3,000 frames. Previously, I reported that David McAtee appears to have succumbed to a single gunshot wound to the chest, and that remains our conclusion,” said Secretary Brown. “Tonight I’m providing some further details on our findings: First, we have been conclusively able to identify the type of weapon that fired the fatal shot; second, we have identified that the 9 millimeter pistol seen in the videos with Mr. McAtee and found at the scene had fired at least two shots that evening; lastly, I’ll report to you that David McAtee had gunshot residue on his person from that evening.”

“Our crime lab was not able to match up the particular bullet fragments with a particular rifle,” said Secretary Brown. “But we do know the caliber and type of ammunition and we know that night those rounds were only fired by one agency, and that was the Kentucky National Guard, responding to the fire that they had received.”

Secretary Brown said the forensic evidence showed McAtee had a 9mm handgun and had fire the weapon at least twice.

“We have no doubt about that Mr. McAtee’s weapon was tested and the shell casings we found outside the door came from that weapon,” he said, adding that Mr. McAtee was tested for gunshot residue and those reports came back positive.

“One of the particles found was consistent with a firearms discharge,” Brown said. “Five other particles were consistent with him either handling or being around a weapon that had been discharged.”