69 more Kentuckians, a record, dead from Covid-19, but other metrics keep trending down; four regional vaccine sites to open

The new Covid-19 deaths (63 confirmed and six probable) brought the state’s death toll to 3,611. Over the last 14 days, the state has averaged 40.6 deaths per day, and the seven-day average is 44.3. Both are records. By comparison, the 7- and 14-day death averages in late December were in the low 20s.

Beshear said not all of the newly reported deaths are recent, because many of them must go through a review committee to confirm that the cause of death was Covid-19.

The governor reported 2,947 new coronavirus cases, bringing the seven-day rolling average down to 2,560, the lowest it’s been since Jan. 1. He said today’s case count is the lowest for a Thursday in the last month.

Vaccination sites (from Dept. for Public Health map)

Vaccines: Beshear said four regional vaccination sites will open next week. One, in partnership with Kroger Health, will open Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena. The site will offer 3,000 appointments in the first week. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and will schedule appointments one week at a time. Sign up at kroger.com/covidvaccine.

Another site will open in Danville, through a partnership with Ephraim McDowell Hospital. And two will open in Paducah, through partnerships with Western Baptist Hospital and Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital. 

All the locations require an appointment, with no walk-in availability. As more vaccines become available, more regional sites will be opened, Beshear said. He said at least 64,000 shots will be given next week, up about 8,800 from the prior week, thanks to a supply boost from President Biden.

Beshear said with the four new sites, there will be 34 Kentucky locations offering vaccinations.

Health Commissioner Steven Stack again called for patience, noting that people need to recognize that not everyone will be able to get vaccinated in the first weeks, but “This will get better with time.”

Transportation Secretary Jim Gray, who is coordinating the logistics, said the additional regional sites will be announced as doses become available.

State graphic, amended by Kentucky Health News

Starting Monday, Feb. 1, Beshear said, vaccination priority will be given to those in Phase 1B, which includes persons who are 70 and older; others are willing educators and other school employees, who Beshear said should largely be done next week; and first responders, almost all vaccinated except the unwilling.Persons in Phases 1A and 1B will continue to remain eligible. Beshear added that there will be times when those in phase 1C will be vaccinated to ensure that each vaccination site administers 90% or more of all of its doses within seven days of arrival.

Beshear said the state had planned on being able to start immunizing those in phase 1C, which includes people 60 and older, essential workers and anyone over the age of 16 with high-risk health conditions, by the first week of February, but that has now been delayed at least several weeks, largely due to supply.

Stack said nearly 100,000 Kentuckians age 70 and older have received their first shot, leaving about 400,000 more to immunize.

The governor encouraged Kentuckians to visit vaccine.ky.gov to determine whether they are eligible for vaccination. The website will also recommend a vaccine location in their region. This information can also be obtained by calling 855-598-2246 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Long-term care: Beshear said case numbers in long-term care facilities are down again, reporting 26 more residents and 34 staff testing positive for the virus, and 692 residents and 364 staff having active cases. He attributed six more deaths to Covid-19, bringing total deaths from the facilities to 2,160.

Beshear said that this improvement could be the result of vaccination, noting that some of the residents and staff are getting their second doses and that many of the staff who were initially hesitant are now signing up for the vaccine.

“I believe our long-term care residents are better protected today than they were before they got the first vaccination, and that’s why we prioritized them,” he said.