State urges businesses to be ‘leaders’ in vaccine push; UI phone line open Tuesday

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The state upped the ante Monday, hoping businesses will be “leaders” while helping their own cause by pushing COVID vaccinations for not only their employees but also their customers.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced the Team Kentucky Vaccination Challenge: When 2.5 million Kentuckians have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the state will remove most capacity restrictions on business.

When the goal is met, the Governor said he will lift capacity restrictions and physical distancing requirements for nearly all venues, events and businesses that cater to 1,000 or fewer patrons. In addition, he will end the curfew for bars and restaurants.

Other limits on masks and social distancing would remain in place while the state continues to push more vaccinations to stem the coronavirus tide and reach what is called “herd immunity” and safeguard against variants which are becoming more prevalent in other states and in Kentucky.

“The question is, how quickly can we get there? With the vaccine supply we have, we could get there in as little as three-and-a-half weeks from now. That minimum time frame might not be realistic, but we should get there in four to six weeks if we are intentional,” said Beshear. “We have to try everything to reach this point as quickly as possible. That will help us have a more normal summer than any of us could have imagined this winter.”

Masking would remain in effect and mass gatherings would still be limited until COVID-19 variants are under control and more Kentucky children are able to be vaccinated. The governor said Kentucky has reported cases of all three variants of concern: the B-117 variant first detected in the United Kingdom, the B-1427 and B-1429 variants first detected in California and the P1 variant first identified in Brazil.

The Governor said he estimates more than 1.6 million Kentuckians have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; he added that vaccination data would update to that number in the next two to three days after the state’s reporting system completed a security upgrade.

So far, 73 percent of people over 70 have been vaccinated and almost as high a percentage of people between 60 and 69. But the percentages fall off dramatically in other age groups with only 35 percent in the 40-49 category and even fewer under that.

“We have talked to some industry leaders in an effort” to get them to help offer incentives to employees and encourage their customers to get vaccinated.

That’s especially true in larger areas like Lexington and Louisville, Beshear said.

When asked later about vaccine passports being required in the state, Beshear said his administration isn’t considering them but “it’s going to happen” in some private businesses.

While 2.5 million people would be 70 percent of the state’s residents over age 16, it would only be 56 percent of the total population. That’s well below the so-called “herd immunity” threshold. Beshear said that’s why the mask mandate and safety measures such as social distancing would still be encouraged.

“We are doing this to motivate people, there’s no question about that…also to motivate businesses to get people going,” Beshear stated, citing everything from pools and venues to restaurants and large weddings as beneficiaries.

“We are hoping people will be leaders…the goal is to save lives,” he added.

To see a list of vaccination sites that have openings this week, visit vaccinemap.ky.gov.

As he encouraged Kentuckians to get vaccinated, the Governor referenced comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said the US economy is at an “inflection point” and that economic growth and job creation could accelerate if the U.S. continues to increase vaccinations and avoids another wave of COVID-19.

The governor also announced federal financial assistance for funeral costs families have experienced related to COVID deaths.

“We have lost more than 6,000 Kentuckians to this horrible virus, leaving many grieving families with unanticipated funeral costs,” said Gov. Beshear. “To help ease some of the stress and burden caused by the pandemic, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has opened a COVID-19 funeral assistance program that provides financial support for funeral expenses incurred due to COVID-19 related deaths.”

Applications can be submitted for financial assistance from FEMA. At this time, there is no deadline to apply for the assistance, but the Governor encouraged Kentuckians not to delay in submitting an application.

To apply, Kentuckians can call the toll-free FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333, or 800-462-7585 for deaf and hard of hearing Americans. The help line is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT.

“Please note, FEMA is not contacting anyone until the individual seeking assistance either has called FEMA first or has applied for assistance,” said Gov. Beshear. “If you doubt a FEMA representative is legitimate, hang up and report it to FEMA at 800-621-3362 or the National Center for Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.”

For more information about COVID-19 Funeral Assistance eligibility and the application, visit fema.gov and search “COVID-19 Funeral Assistance.”

The state’s prison system may have crossed its last hurdle as it now pushes to vaccinate inmates.

J. Michael Brown, secretary of the Executive Cabinet, said to date, 6,602 out of 9,653 (68.39%) state inmates have received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine and additional vaccine clinics are being conducted this week at the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

If inmates declined a vaccine when it was first offered to them, but they change their minds in the future and request one, they will still be able to receive a vaccine.

“When we get at least 80 percent of inmates vaccinated, we will be at a point where we may be able to have visits by vaccinated people to vaccinated inmates. It’s an incentive for folks to get vaccinated,” Brown said.

On March 3, the prison system had 56 active cases among staff and 249 among inmates with a total in the last year of 1,012 staff cases and 7.159 inmates cases.

Two weeks later, those numbers had jumped to 48 staff and 628 inmates with two more deaths pushing the inmate total to 46.

By Monday, the system was down to 10 staff cases and a total of 1,094 staff cases in a year and 11 inmate cases and 7,901 total inmate cases plus a total of 48 deaths.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, April 12, Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:

New cases today: 270, which was higher than last Monday but lower than the previous two Mondays,
New deaths today: 7
New audit deaths: 0
Positivity rate: 3.16%
Total deaths: 6,257
Currently hospitalized: 380
Currently in ICU: 104
Currently on ventilator: 54

Top counties with the most positive cases today are: Jefferson, Harlan, Laurel and Daviess. Each county reported at least 11 new cases.

To see a list of those reported lost to the virus today, click here.

“I urge everyone – for your own safety, for your own well-being – to make that choice to get vaccinated to keep yourself and your loved ones safe,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health. “Vaccines are available. For example, all Kroger and Walgreens stores in the state of Kentucky are offering COVID-19 vaccines. If we can all rally around this and go get vaccinated, we can get back to activities safely.”

On another important issue, Amy Cubbage, general counsel for Beshear, updated Kentuckians on when the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) system will go live again after a temporary shutdown for security upgrades.

“We are on track for the system to go live again at 7 a.m. EDT tomorrow,” said Cubbage. “So far, 100,000 letters have been mailed with new login information for claimants and the remaining letters will be mailed tomorrow. Knowing that the letters will not reach you in time for the system’s reopening, we will have call center assistance at 502-564-2900 available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT for the next 10 days.”

Claimants can only get PIN assistance on this call line. Wait times are expected to be longest between 7 and 8 a.m. and between 8 and 9 p.m. when there are fewer call center staff on duty.

“A valid email address is required to verify identity in new registration process. Free email accounts are available through Google and Yahoo. You will also need the new eight-digit PIN to create the new account,” said Cubbage. “If you are not due to request benefits this week, please hold off on requesting a PIN via phone and wait for the letter.”

To see all vaccination sites and free transportation options to and from vaccination appointments, visit vaccine.ky.gov. To see a list of vaccination sites that have openings this week, visit vaccinemap.ky.gov. If Kentuckians have questions, they should call the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline, 855-598-2246 or TTY 855-326-4654 (for deaf or hard-of-hearing Kentuckians).

To view the full daily report, incidence rate map, information on testing locations, vaccines, contact tracing, school reports and guidance, guidance for health care providers and the White House Coronavirus Task Force reports for Kentucky and more, visit kycovid19.ky.gov.