OK, Kentuckians — if you’ve been jealous of all these Ohio residents getting their vax on, it’s now your time to shine.
Beginning Monday, April 5, all Kentucky residents who are age 16 and up are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Ohio began vaccinating residents over age 16 earlier this week.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the move Wednesday.
“This is a good day. This news means that we will beat the president’s goal by a month to have COVID-19 vaccinations opened up to everyone,” Beshear says in a press release. “We are seeing in a number of states an increase in cases and hospitalizations, and it’s happening among younger people. We want to get ahead of the more aggressive COVID-19 variants and make sure that we fill every available appointment. Make a plan to get your shot of hope.”
Beshear also pointed to a new video that encourages Kentuckians to “join the team and get vaccinated,” as Beshear says in the release.
On March 29, Beshear added COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for Kentucky residents ages 40 and up, saying at the time that 36% of the state’s adult population had been vaccinated.
Beshear also notes that a new mass vaccination site will open April 12 at the University of Louisville’s Cardinal Stadium. It will be the state’s largest vaccination site and will vaccinate up to 4,000 Kentuckians daily over seven weeks, Beshear says. Residents can find information and make appointments for vaccines at the stadium at UofLHealth.org or by calling 502-681-1435.
As of March 31, there are 413 Kentuckians hospitalized with coronavirus and 110 in the intensive care unit, according to figures provided by Beshear.
Recent figures indicate that COVID-19 cases in the multi-state region may be inching back up.
Find vaccine providers throughout Kentucky at govstatus.egov.com/kentucky-vaccine-map.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2021.