FRANKFORT, Ky. — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentucky has 499,735 Moderna and Pfizer vaccines on hand and ready to be administered, more than half the number the state would need to meet its 2.5 million Team Kentucky Vaccination Challenge.
“As of today, we are only 877,076 vaccinations away from our goal of 2.5 million Kentuckians 16 and older receiving their vaccine,” said Gov. Beshear. “The way we defeat this virus is with vaccines, and I want to give you one statistic to show just how incredible they are.
“Congregate settings, like long-term care facilities, at one time made up more than 68% of our COVID-19 deaths; today, just 37.72% of COVID-19 deaths are from congregate settings, after we prioritized their residents and staff for the vaccine. The vaccines virtually eliminate death and serious illness from this virus. They are a miracle.”
To see a list of all vaccination sites that have openings this week, visit vaccinemap.ky.gov. Gov. Beshear highlighted eight vaccination sites with at least 1,000 open appointments:
- UofL Health Cardinal Stadium, Jefferson County
- Register at UofLHealth.org or by calling 502-681-1435
- Kroger Kentucky Horse Park, Fayette County
- To register, visit kroger.com/covidvaccine.
- Kroger Greenwood Mall – Former Sears Building, Warren County
- To register, visit kroger.com/covidvaccine.
- Baptist Health Corbin, Whitley County
- To register, call 606-526-4990 or visit scheduleyourvaccine.com.
- Christian County Health Department – Bruce Convention Center, Christian County
- To register, visit christiancountyhd.com or call 270-887-4160.
- King’s Daughters Pavilion, Greenup County
- To register, call 606-408-2683.
- Baptist Health Hardin, Hardin County
- To register, call 270-706-1004.
- Pikeville Medical Center, Pike County
- To register, visit pmcvaccine.com.
When discussing the state’s largest vaccination site, at Cardinal Stadium, Gov. Beshear said: “The work being done is nothing short of amazing. The entire process takes 25 minutes – 10 minutes for the shot, and 15 minutes of being monitored as a precaution. This site alone has the ability to vaccinate up to 4,000 people a day with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. They just need Kentuckians to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The Governor shared a video from Dr. Jason Smith, UofL Health’s chief medical officer, walking Kentuckians through the Cardinal Stadium vaccination site and encouraging them to sign up for appointments now.
Memorial
“Today we are honoring the life of Gill Scott, who passed away from COVID-19 on March 26. Gill was one of nine children, born and raised in Adair County. He moved to Louisville as a teenager, where he met and married his wife of 60 years, Mary,” said Gov. Beshear. “Family was always his number one priority – he loved them more than anything.
“Gill also loved being outdoors. It didn’t matter if he was mowing the yard, or RVing with Mary and their dog Harley Dee, he was just happy to be outside. Gill loved God and family, and had a witty sense of humor with a knack for one-liners.
“Gill’s life changed forever after the 2018 passing of his granddaughter, Detective Deidre Mengedoht, while on duty as a police officer for the Louisville Metro Police Department. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary and the entire family. We hope Gill is reunited with his granddaughter, and together they are looking down on you all.”
Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, April 15, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:
Kentuckians vaccinated (have received at least one dose): 1,622,924*
New cases today: 834
New deaths today: 17
New audit deaths: 0
Positivity rate: 3.45%
Total deaths: 6,302
Currently hospitalized: 416
Currently in ICU: 102
Currently on ventilator: 49
Top counties with the most positive cases today are Jefferson, Fayette, Warren and Daviess. Each county reported at least 33 new cases.
To see a list of those reported lost to the virus today, click here.
*Monday, the Governor reported that vaccination data would update over the next two to three days after the state’s reporting system completed a security upgrade.
Unemployment Insurance Update
Today, Amy Cubbage, general counsel for Gov. Beshear, updated Kentuckians on in-person unemployment insurance (UI) appointments, federal tax returns for UI claimants and the UI system reopening after a temporary shutdown to enhance security.
Kentucky Career Centers Open to In-Person Appointments
After the previous administration eliminated in-person unemployment assistance, the Beshear administration returned those services to regional career centers on Thursday to assist more Kentuckians with their claims.
Cubbage said this morning, 13 regional Kentucky Career Centers opened for approximately 9,500 in-person appointments that are scheduled through April 30.
On April 19, Kentuckians can begin scheduling appointments for May 3; after that, appointments will open up for an additional day each night at 12 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Claimants with appointments are being offered additional career center services, including re-employment services, as part of their appointments.
Employers were handing out applications at some of the career centers on Thursday.
“We hope to have employers onsite next week with job opportunities available at all career center locations. These employer booths are outside the career centers and will be available, weather permitting, with no appointment. Masks and social distancing will still be required,” said Cubbage.
Kentuckians can also register for and access job search resources at kcc.ky.gov.
Federal Tax Refunds
Cubbage said if claimants filed federal taxes before Congress exempted the first $10,200 in unemployment insurance benefits from taxes, they do not need to file an amended return. The IRS has announced it will start processing refunds owed due to this new exemption in May.
UI System Reopened After Temporary Shutdown
The UI system reopened Tuesday morning after a temporary shutdown to stop suspicious and aggressive criminals attempting to gain unauthorized access to UI customer data.
“During the system shut down we moved everyone to a new eight-digit PIN so it would be more secure than our previous four-digit PIN. Letters were mailed in batches giving claimants new PIN numbers and step-by-step instructions on how to register in the new UI system,” said Cubbage.
Approximately 30,000 people have already registered in the new UI system.
“If you have not received your letter and need to access your UI account you can call our UI Help Line at 502-564-2900 and staff will be able to reset your PIN once they verify your identification,” Cubbage added.
Hours for the UI Help Line are:
- Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. EDT. If claimants are in the que by 8 p.m., they will be assisted.
- Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT
- Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT
At this time, UI staff will only be helping with the registration process or resetting PIN numbers on the help line.
“If your PIN is reset over the phone with our staff, when your letter arrives that PIN is no longer valid. You will need to use the PIN that was reset for you over the phone,” said Cubbage. “Once you receive your PIN, you will need to register in the UI system as a new user. Your letter that has your new PIN also has step-by-step instructions on how to complete the registration.”
There is a tutorial video and step-by-step guide online at kcc.ky.gov.
Log Still Distillery to Create 126 Jobs with Phase 2 Investment
Today, Gov. Beshear announced Log Still Distillery, a startup reviving a historic site in southern Nelson County, expects to create 126 full-time jobs with a $24 million Phase 2 investment as they open a 300-acre campus that will be home to the distillery and other amenities to be rolled out over the next year. To learn more, see the full release.
Worldwide Technologies to Create 25 Jobs with Green County Facility
Kentucky companies continue to grow and create future job opportunities for residents, as today Gov. Beshear and leaders of Worldwide Technologies LLC, a manufacturer of precision machined parts, shared plans to open an operation in Greensburg, creating 25 full-time jobs with a $1.42 million investment. To learn more, see the full release.
More Information
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.