Gov. Beshear: More Than 80% of Kentuckians 65 and Older Have Received at Least One COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

Governor also announces additional bar and restaurant restrictions will be lifted May 28

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 10, 2021) On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced more than 80% of Kentuckians 65 and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. To date, 1,875,554 people have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Kentucky.

“No matter where you are in the commonwealth, you could get vaccinated tomorrow with a very short drive,” said Gov. Beshear. “We need people to keep getting vaccinated. It’s proven to be incredibly safe and effective.”

Gov. Beshear said 852 out of 857 (99.42%) of all Kentuckians who died due to COVID-19 on or after Feb. 1, 2021, were unvaccinated.

The Governor also announced that on May 28, the state will lift the curfew on restaurants and bars and will allow bar seating.

Gov. Beshear and Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, reminded Kentuckians that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds this week.

Dr. Stack said on kycovid19.ky.gov’s Desktop Dashboard, Kentuckians can now see positivity rates by county.

Kentuckians Who Get COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Can Earn Free Chance to Win $225,000
Gov. Beshear said individuals who get a COVID-19 vaccine dose at participating Kroger and Walmart locations between today and May 21 are eligible to receive a coupon for a free Kentucky Lottery Cash Ball 225 play.

Coupons are only available to Kentuckians 18 or older on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. To learn more, click here or contact a local Kroger or Walmart pharmacy.

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Monday, May 10, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:

People vaccinated in Kentucky (have received at least one dose): 1,875,554

New cases today: 167
Positivity rate: 3.25%

For more information on cases and hospital capacity, see the full daily COVID-19 report. To see a list of those reported lost to the virus today, click here.

The top 10 counties for highest number of first vaccine doses administered May 3-9 are:

Jefferson (6,553); Fayette (2,850); Boone (1,670); Kenton (1,536); Hardin (903); Campbell (864); Daviess (683); Warren (578); McCracken (551); and Oldham (506).

Kentucky to Receive More Than $2.1 Billion from American Rescue Plan Act
Today, Gov. Beshear announced the commonwealth is receiving $2.183 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, with the allotment smaller than a previous estimate because of the state’s positive economic performance. To learn more, see the full release.

General Fund Receipts Surge in April, Road Fund Receipts Set Monthly Record
Gov. Beshear said the state’s economy is continuing to strengthen, with April 2021 logging record-breaking gains in sales and motor vehicle usage taxes.

Sales tax receipts in April were $486.5 million, an all-time monthly high. They were more than 40% higher than last April. Motor vehicle usage tax receipts hit over $64 million, producing an all-time record for this tax type in the road fund. To learn more, see the full release.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö to Build $70 Million Second Facility in Madisonville
Finland-based Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a glass fiber tissue producer, will build a second facility in Madisonville with a $70 million investment expected to create 51 high-quality jobs, Gov. Beshear announced today. To learn more, see the full release.

Apple Invests $45 Million in Kentucky iPhone Glass Manufacturer
Today, Apple announced it is awarding $45 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund (AMF) to Corning Inc., to invest in Corning’s glass innovation center in Harrodsburg. Corning is a supplier of precision glass for iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads.

The funding will increase Corning’s U.S. manufacturing capacity and will support research and development for technologies that enable better durability and longer product life. Corning has already received $450 million from Apple’s $5 billion AMF over the last four years. Apple’s investment helps support more than 1,000 jobs across Corning’s U.S. operations; approximately 40% of those jobs are in Kentucky.

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).

Because so many Kentuckians have received COVID-19 vaccines, the state has been able to increase capacity in most businesses to 60% and return child care classrooms to their traditional sizes. In addition, state officials have been able to shorten and simplify Healthy at Work minimum requirements and lift the mask mandate for smaller, outdoor events. As outlined in today’s release, additional restrictions will be lifted May 28.

For detailed information on COVID-19 vaccinations and more, visit kycovid19.ky.gov.

###

​​

​​​​

​​​​​​​​​