Governor frustrated with vaccination pace as he announces record Monday case numbers

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Governor Andy Beshear announced Monday he’s frustrated with the slow vaccination pace in the state and across the country.

Beshear and Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, say there will be four phases of vaccination:

• Phase 1a: Long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, health care personnel
• Phase 1b: First responders, Kentuckians age >= 70, K-12 school personnel
• Phase 1c: Kentuckians age >= 60, anyone older than 16 with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highest-risk conditions for COVID-19, all essential workers
• Phase 2: Age >= 40
• Phase 3: Age >= 16
• Phase 4: Children under the age of 16 if the vaccine is approved for this age group (estimated to comprise 18% of Kentucky’s population)

The governor says the goal is to give 90% of all doses received within seven days of their arrival in the state.

According to the governor, 60,414 vaccine doses have already been administered; 57,000 doses (27,300 from Pfizer and from 29,700 from Moderna) will be delivered this week.

“We’ve got to get these things out faster. I’m not OK with the pace that they are currently being provided. We have too many people out there who are rightfully anxious, and they need to see this whole country pick up the pace. We are certainly going to do it here in Kentucky,” said Gov. Beshear. “Today we’re going to talk about some changes we’re making, some additional clarification, so if we ever have another case like those two stores that thaw too much vaccine again, they know exactly what population should get it.”

“We are committed to getting this done quickly, efficiently and in the best way we know how and are able to deliver. We’re committed to ramping up the pace dramatically,” said Dr. Stack. “We’re asking every vaccination site to use the prioritization guidance and stick with that, but the top level goal is for every vaccine administration site in the state to administer 90% or more of the vaccine doses they receive within one week, so we don’t have vaccine doses waiting in a freezer until the next week.”

The governor also announced a record number of cases for a Monday with 2,319 new cases and 26 more deaths. The positivity rate is 11.2% There have been 2,749 deaths overall.

According to the governor, 1,737 people are in the hospital with 456 in the ICU and 216 on a ventilator.

Jefferson, Fayette, Boyd, Kenton, Warren and Pulaski had the most cases by Monday. Each had reported 70 or more new cases; Jefferson County alone reported 429.

“Those reported lost to the virus today include a 79-year-old woman and an 81-year-old man from Boone County; a 54-year-old woman from Boyle County; three women, ages 73, 84 and 92, and a 72-year-old man from Campbell County; a 92-year-old man from Franklin County; a 70-year-old woman from Gallatin County; two men, ages 40 and 70, from Grant County; a 95-year-old woman and three men, ages 72, 78 and 92, from Jefferson County; four women, ages 66, 74, 99 and 102, and three men, ages 86, 88 and 90, from Kenton County; an 82-year-old woman from Lewis County; a 65-year-old man from Marshall County; and an 89-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man from Simpson County,” the governor said.

To view the full daily report, incidence rate map, testing locations, long-term care and other congregate facilities update, school reports and guidance, red zone counties, red zone recommendations, the White House Coronavirus Task Force reports for Kentucky and other key guidance visit, kycovid19.ky.gov.