FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made it clear on Monday: He's not pleased with the slow rate of vaccine rollout across the state.
In a message of urgency, Beshear announced new plans on how to get the shots out faster.
In his first live briefing of 2021, Beshear announced the number of new COVID-19 cases is the highest ever for a Monday.
There were 2,319 new cases and 26 more people died, he said.
"It should tell us that where we are continues to be fragile, and in just one week of not doing the things that we need to do, we can give up gains that we’ve fought and we've sacrificed week after week to achieve. That’s what this virus is. It just waits for you to get tired. It waits for you to let your guard down, and then it springs into action,” said Beshear, showing a map comparing the number of cases by week.
More vaccine doses are coming into Kentucky. Beshear said the vaccines will arrive this week; however, he said not enough Kentuckians are being vaccinated.
He reported 60,414 people have been vaccinated in the Bluegrass so far.
"I'm not OK with the pace that they are currently being provided. So let me be clear, I am not satisfied by the pace of vaccination here in Kentucky,” Beshear said.
Beshear is offering the National Guard to help administer the vaccinations. His new goal is to have 90% of the vaccine administered within seven days of its arrival.
There's a tiered approach as to who's eligible for the shot first that prioritizes healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities, followed by first responders, and so on down the pyramid until eventually, the general public is eligible.
But if there are too few people signed up for the shots in one of the upper tiers, those in the following tier will become eligible as supplies allow.
It's all to ramp up injections.
"I am convinced that (vaccinations are) going to start to escalate more quickly this week," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack.
"And then we are going to take additional steps that we’ll announce at a future date where we are going to work to create a way where any individual Kentuckian who wants to get vaccinated can identify themselves and we can try to identify for you a place to get vaccinated,” Stack said.
In trying to explain the slow pace so far, Beshear said he believes the federal government has underestimated the time it takes to do the vaccinations.