Governor also celebrates 1 millionth Kentuckian vaccinated today
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 15, 2021) – On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 99.7% of all first vaccine doses sent to Kentucky have been administered after another record-setting week.
Over the past week, more than 142,000 Kentuckians have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We believe that we are going to hit the president’s goal that every adult in Kentucky and across America who wants their shot of hope will be able to get it by the end of May,” said Gov. Beshear. “We’ve had nine straight weeks of declining cases and if we continue to see this trend, we can relax some of the restrictions even more. But we need to be careful and make sure we bring everybody to the finish line.”
Today, Gov. Beshear, First Lady Britainy Beshear and Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack recognized the milestone of 1 million Kentuckians being vaccinated (photos here) during a ceremony at the state Capitol. To learn more, see the full release.
Team Kentucky Memorial Fund Opens
To help honor more than 5,000 Kentuckians lost to COVID-19 and the sacrifices of Kentuckians during the pandemic, Gov. Beshear today launched the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial Fund, which will help make a permanent memorial on Capitol grounds a reality.
“This fund will help us make sure no Kentuckian is ever forgotten,” said Gov. Beshear. “Kentuckians can dedicate a donation to someone they’ve lost or someone they want to honor. Soon we’ll announce an artist call to encourage artists to submit their ideas for something that can truly encapsulate the grief, hope, togetherness, difficulty – all of those things we have felt this past year. The sleepless nights, but also, the coming together.”
The Governor first announced plans for the memorial during a March 6 ceremony in Frankfort that honored the Kentuckians lost to COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed in the commonwealth March 6, 2020. To learn more, see the full release.
Child Care Facilities Returning to Traditional Classroom Group Sizes
Today, Gov. Beshear announced licensed child care facilities are returning to traditional classroom group sizes. By Kentucky statute, the group sizes range from 10 for infants, with a staff-to-child ratio of one to five, to 30 children for kids ages 7 and older and a staff-to-child ratio of one to 25.
“A bright day in Kentucky just got brighter,” the Governor said. “The care that has been taken to protect Kentucky’s children and hard-working child care staff will continue even as group sizes increase.”
Children and adults will be screened for fever and contagious symptoms when they enter child care facilities. Personal protective equipment will be provided and worn, and proper sanitization and infection-control measures will be required.
Social distancing requirements will continue to be observed and facility visits will be limited. The same staff members are being asked to work with the same children each day, reducing potential exposure.
Farmstead Butcher Block Plans to Locate in Muhlenberg County, Create 25 Jobs
Today, Gov. Beshear announced Farmstead Butcher Block LLC plans to invest over $1.2 million to establish a meat processing operation near Central City that is expected to create 25 full-time jobs. To learn more, see the full release.
Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Monday, March 15, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:
New cases today: 396
New deaths today: 23
Positivity rate: 3.99%
Total deaths: 5,005
Currently hospitalized: 464
Currently in ICU: 114
Currently on ventilator: 67
Top counties with the most positive cases today are: Jefferson, Fayette and Warren. Each county reported at least 15 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. Vaccine.ky.gov also lists regional vaccination partners statewide, so Kentuckians can search their county or region and see how to schedule an appointment.
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 vaccine 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.
###