Governor Andy Beshear said more than 130,000 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to arrive in Kentucky next week as the rollout continues across the state.
The governor said over 711,000 people have already received at least one dose of the vaccine with 112,000 happening last week.
Beshear said as production continues to increase, the timeline for those waiting for a shot continues to move forward. He said those people who are struggling with appointments will soon be allowed more opportunities due to increased allotments.
The state reported 1,080 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. There were 684 people hospitalized in the state with the virus, with 178 in the ICU. Both are the lowest since October.
The state also announced 19 deaths. Beshear said Monday that Kentucky is performing an audit similar to those done in other states due to a state employee who circumvented the fatality reporting process.
Beshear said when COVID-19 cases and deaths rose significantly in November, at least one state official stopped auditing death certificates as part of the state’s review process. He said they relied on confirmation from local health departments, which meant some death records fell through the cracks. Beshear said he expects the state’s COVID-19 death rate to rise due to the audit.
