Gov. Beshear: Kentucky once again breaks weekly vaccination record

In News, State by OC Monitor Staff

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentucky once again broke a weekly vaccination record with 198,447 new Kentuckians receiving a #ShotOfHope during the last reporting week, beginning on March 16.

The previously weekly record was 165,217 new Kentuckians receiving a vaccine in the week beginning on March 9.

On Tuesday, Gov. Beshear also announced Kentucky Dam Village Convention Center – located at 113 Administration Drive, Gilbertsville, KY 42044 – as one of several sites across the commonwealth with open COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

“This is a new site we stood up in Western Kentucky to ensure the area was getting significant amounts of vaccine,” said Gov. Beshear. “As of today, they have more than 2,000 available appointments in this coming week. That means any Kentuckian, aged 50 and up, if you’re in that area, we need you to sign up.”

Kentuckians can pre-register to be vaccinated at Kentucky Dam Village Convention Center now by visiting kyvax.com/kydam or by calling 859-217-4679.

To see more vaccination sites with available appointments, check here. Visit kycovid19.ky.gov and click on the gold vaccine bar, or call toll-free 855-598-2246, for more information or to schedule an appointment. The TTY number for deaf and hard of hearing Kentuckians is 855-326-4654.

The Governor also said he will start announcing sites with extra appointments on social media to help reach individuals who might not be aware.

Next week, Kentucky’s state vaccination program is projected to receive more than 142,000 first doses from the federal government.

Case Information

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:

New cases today: 893
New deaths today: 11
New audit deaths: 4
Positivity rate: 2.93%
Total deaths: 5,814
Currently hospitalized: 436
Currently in ICU: 93
Currently on ventilator: 48

Top counties with the most positive cases today are Jefferson, Warren, Fayette and Laurel. Each county reported at least 49 new cases.

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

Kentucky’s COVID-19 Vaccine Website, vaccine.ky.gov, shows Kentuckians which phase they are in specifically. Individuals can sign up for notifications so state officials can communicate with them when doses become available at new and existing sites. Kentucky’s vaccine map lists regional vaccination partners statewide, so individuals can search their county or region and see how to schedule an appointment. Below the vaccine map, Kentuckians can find additional vaccination sites at Kroger, Walmart and Walgreens stores, as well as independent pharmacies.

Kentucky’s COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline, 855-598-2246 or TTY 855-326-4654 (for deaf or hard-of-hearing Kentuckians), has the same features as the website. Kentuckians can get assistance completing the vaccine eligibility questionnaire and scheduling an appointment when doses are available. The hotline is available 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

Free or reduced-cost transportation to and from vaccination appointments is offered by public transit agencies across the commonwealth. These services are already operating in over 90 counties, covering 75% of all counties across Kentucky. Kentuckians can find transportation services near them by heading to kycovid19.ky.gov for a full list of participating public transit agencies and their phone numbers, or by calling the Kentucky COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline.

More Information

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.