Governor Andy Beshear participated in a conference with White House Coronavirus Task Force Director Dr. Deborah Birx Tuesday, and they discussed vaccine rollout and response in the state.
Speaking with reporters, Governor Beshear says Dr. Birx feels that Kentucky has responded well, and more aggressively than many states, to the escalating spread of COVID-19. They discussed rolling out the vaccine—Beshear says it will take around two and a half months to make sure long term care facility residents and staff receive the vaccine.
He says patience will be what they ask of people who are waiting to get the shot themselves as that will still take time, and people will need to stick to those well-known health guidelines.
Dr. Birx told the governor Kentucky could improve on testing more people between the ages of 18 and 30-years old, to catch coronavirus cases that are slipping through the cracks in that age range due to lack of testing.
The hope is the Moderna vaccine will quickly gain FDA approval for distribution, so it can be sent to those working in a healthcare working capacity, and pave the way for the general public to have access.
The governor announced 2,946 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, and says the positivity rate decreased once again to 8.53 percent. Kentucky has had 15 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 2,239 since the pandemic began.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported 8,251 new COVID-19 cases, along with 74 new deaths—approximately 2,821 Tennesseans are currently hospitalized.