1,211 new Kentucky coronavirus cases & 37 deaths. Vaccine eligibility expanded.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,211 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Thursday and 37 more deaths attributable to the virus, increasing the state’s total number of confirmed cases to 414,131 and the death toll to 4,921.
At least 213 of the new cases are among staff and inmates in Kentucky’s corrections system, Beshear said in a live update. He said more details will be provided on Monday.
Also on Monday, the state will expand the number of people in priority group 1C who qualify for a coronavirus vaccine. Those in 1C include people age 60 and older, essential workers, and those age 16 and older who live with certain pre-existing medical and behavioral conditions that place them at high-risk for severe coronavirus infection. The state is adjusting its list to include all illnesses defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that place a person at high-risk. Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said. For example, only people with Type 2 diabetes initially qualified for a dose in 1C in Kentucky. On Monday, people with Type 1 diabetes will become eligible, too.
The health conditions that “might” put a person at higher risk, and will be folded into 1C starting Monday, Stack said, include cystic fibrosis, asthma, obesity, hypertension, dementia, liver disease, and anyone with HIV. The CDC lists smokers as at-risk for severe COVID-19 infection, but Kentucky has declined to make that group eligible for a vaccine in 1C.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, the statewide positivity rate rose slightly from 3.94 percent to 3.95 percent.
At least 910,353 people have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine; 58,840 received their first dose in the last two days, Beshear said. No new vaccination sites will come online next week across the state, partly due to a supply lag in the projected weekly allocation of Johnson & Johnson and Moderna doses coming to Kentucky.
“As vaccine quantities increase, we’ll continue to supply the higher-volume locations as necessary, as long as they stay busy, and we will also continue to expand [to other locations],” Stack said.
There are new cases of the virus among nine residents and 10 staff in nursing homes, bringing their total number of combined active cases to 257. Since all residents and personnel in Kentucky’s long-term care facilities who want a vaccine have received one, outside visitation is once again allowed to resume in those places for the first time in almost a year. All visitors will be screened for symptoms and are encouraged to be fully immunized before visiting, or, at the very least, receive a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of their visit.
Fully vaccinated residents may have close contact with visitors but must still wear a face mask.
For people seeking career support, Beshear announced Thursday that at least 11 Kentucky career center locations are slated to open in person on April 15, including in Morehead, Prestonsburg, Somerset and Louisville. The governor said his office is working on securing space in Lexington. Appointments are required.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 4:44 PM.
