Over 1.8 million Kentuckians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine with updated numbers showing more people leaving the state to get a shot than coming to Kentucky to get one.
Governor Andy Beshear said Monday that more than 92,000 Kentuckians have been vaccinated out of state compared to around 70,000 people that have come to the state for a shot.
The updated numbers also show the state is over 651,000 people away from Beshear’s goal of 2.5 million people having received a shot. The governor has said he will lift restrictions once the goal is met. However, he also said some restrictions could be lifted as the state gets closer.
click to download audioLast week, the state’s outdoor mask mandate that was in effect since last summer was lifted by Beshear upon guidance released from the Centers for Disease Control.
The governor said there could be announcements later this week concerning incentives to encourage more people to get vaccinated. He declined to say if he would follow the lead of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy who said residents there who get their first COVID-19 vaccination in May will be eligible for a free beer at select breweries.
Kentucky reported 313 new cases of COVID-19 Monday which included 55 school-age children. Beshear said the state continues to be in a plateau for new cases, testing positivity rate, and hospitalizations.
He also said the state is watching long term care numbers closely as they appear to be increasing.
Meanwhile, both Kentucky Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles and U.S. Senator Rand Paul have called upon Beshear to set a full reopening date for the state to allow for proper planning for a responsible reopening. Paul went as far to say Beshear was “drunk with power.”
Beshear said Monday that if “people traveling the state” spent some of that time encouraging people to get vaccinated instead of talking about COVID-19 restrictions, it would be more beneficial to the state.
