COVID-19 vaccine available to those 40+ in KY on Monday. 107 more deaths identified.
Starting Monday, people ages 40 and older will become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said on Thursday, as he announced 726 new cases of the virus, along with 107 more virus-related deaths.
The announcement to expand vaccine eligibility comes days after the state opened eligibility to people ages 50 and older. “We’re trying to thread this needle just right and make sure we don’t open to people too quickly,” the governor said in a live update. By April 12, anyone over the age of 16 will become eligible for a dose in the commonwealth.
Many of the coronavirus-related deaths Beshear announced Thursday were from previous months, including 88 deaths discovered through a statewide audit of all COVID-19 deaths dating back to October. In the last five months, at least 750 people died from coronavirus, but due to outdated reporting systems and state officials not double checking deaths reported by local health departments, those deaths are only just now being reported. The overall death toll has reached 5,970.
The statewide positivity rate is 2.92 percent. There are 403 people hospitalized with coronavirus, including 106 in intensive care and 49 on a ventilator.
More than 36% of Kentucky adults have received at least their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Beshear said, as he announced three new immunization sites in Paintsville, Liberty and Greensburg. Beshear said he has no plans to rescind the state’s mask mandate in the immediate future, citing the fact that not all Kentuckians have had a chance to be vaccinated.
Kentucky has a total of 573 vaccination sites. That saturation has caused many places to have more openings that aren’t being filled. To check for sites with current openings, visit vaccinemap.ky.gov and click on “current vaccine openings.”
Beshear asked people not to shop for a specific vaccine, such as the one-dose Johnson & Johnson.
“It’s a really good sign that we’re seeing a lot of demand for Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” Beshear said. “But waiting for it would be a mistake. It’s a mistake for you personally and it holds us back as a state in getting us where we need to go.”
While the state has largely stemmed spread of the disease among vulnerable populations in congregate settings, like long-term care facilities — there were no new cases among nursing home residents Thursday, and only nine among staff — vaccinations are only just beginning in prisons. The state began last week administering Johnson & Johnson doses to some prisoners 70 and older. Beshear said there is a vaccination plan for the more than 18,000 inmates, but he did not provide specifics, just that the “process is underway.”
“We are still not at a point to announce or schedule in-person visits,” for inmates’ friends and family, he said.
Beshear vetoes COVID-19 legislation
Earlier on Thursday, Beshear vetoed Joint House Resolution 77, which would extend some of his COVID-19 emergency orders but not the statewide mask mandate or any capacity restrictions on businesses. The resolution would only apply should Republicans defeat Beshear in an ongoing legal battle over whether they can limit his ability to issue emergency orders lasting longer than 30 days.
In his veto message, Beshear said the resolution was “unconstitutional and may violate a court injunction” and said it would create confusion about “what public health measures were in place and, ultimately, lead to increased spread of the disease.”
Federal funding for health centers
Twenty-five community health and primary care centers across Kentucky are slated to get a significant federal funding boost next month to expand services to vulnerable and under-served populations, the U.S. Department for Health and Human announced Thursday.
Health centers from Beattyville, Hazard, McKee and Prestonsburg, to Bowling Green, Owenton, Vanceburg and Lexington will share $96,748,500 in American Rescue Plan funding to support expanded vaccination and testing options for “hard-hit populations,” as well as “deliver needed preventative and primary care health services to those at higher risk for COVID-19,” according to an HHS statement.
The Health Resources and Services Administration will dole out the funding in April.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 4:39 PM.
