LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Effective Monday, child care workers in Kentucky are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under Phase 1B of the state's vaccination plan, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a briefing from the state Capitol.
As essential workers, staff at child care facilities were under Phase 1C, but Beshear said the move up to 1B is in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was released about a month ago "without much of an announcement.
"We are at a place now where we think the timing is right for it," the governor added. "... We are going to specifically ask our local health departments to focus on, you know, individuals over 70, vulnerable populations and child care workers, and that's even if we move into 1C at other places in the future. Our local health departments will have this specific mission and be a specific place to go."
The change in child care workers' priority status comes after an online petition was created asking the state to allow those individuals to join K-12 educators in Phase 1B, which also includes first responders and anyone age 70 and older.
Terri Bosemer, the director of Fern Creek Baptist Child Development Center, not only signed the petition but also contacted the governor's office directly half a dozen times, because she says the vaccine was needed to give her industry more peace of mind — and a better safety net — to keep performing its vital role.
"The majority of my parents are either educators, first responders, and if we're not healthy and able to take care of their children, then who's going to, so I feel like we're the foundation of it all," she said.
Bradley Stevenson, the executive director of the Child Care Council of Kentucky, had similar thoughts in a January interview with WDRB News.
"This industry is a very low-paying industry. Much of it does not come with health care benefits," said Stevenson, one of the people who helped create the online petition. "We think this is a layer of protection that could help the field as a whole," he added.
The executive director at Highland Community Ministries, Troy Burden, told WDRB News in January that more than 60 staff members have been caring for about 170 children at Highland Community's three Louisville facilities since the start of the pandemic. At the time, Burden said his staff had been "overlooked" while teachers were receiving doses of the vaccine.
"They're putting themselves at risk going to work every day," Burden said. "... I know they want to get people back to school and I understand that, but we have people who have been working the whole pandemic every day."
The state's vaccination dashboard shows 538,298 Kentuckians as of Monday had received at least the first dose of the two-shot coronavirus immunization.
To find a COVID-19 testing location near you, click here. To find out if you're eligible for a vaccine and for more information on Kentucky's vaccination process, click here.
Kentucky reports lowest single-day COVID-19 caseload since October
Health officials on Monday confirmed 723 new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky and nine more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, according to a report from Kentucky Public Health.
Monday's caseload is the lowest reported since Oct. 12, 2020, Beshear said. Of the new cases, 144 were confirmed in Jefferson County, according to Kentucky Public Health.
Kentucky's positivity rate, which measures the proportion of coronavirus tests returning positive, also continued its steady decline since surpassing 12% in January. The rate fell from 6.78% on Sunday to 6.57% on Monday, according to Kentucky Public Health.
Kentucky on Monday also dropped below 1,000 residents hospitalized with COVID-19 for the first time in 2021.
"This is the type of decrease that we want to see, and we want to keep it going," Beshear said. "And, if we can keep it going, we can look at easing some capacity restrictions — maybe being able to do a little bit more — but the trajectory is moving in a really positive direction."
According to Kentucky Public Health, 268 patients were being treated for the virus in intensive care units on Monday, while 132 were on ventilators.
The nine coronavirus-related deaths reported Monday bring Kentucky to 4,291 since the virus was first reported in the state in March 2020.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 389,521 confirmed cases reported since March, at least 45,949 have recovered, according to Kentucky Public Health.
But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.
Louisville-area vaccination sites closed Tuesday due to winter weather
The following vaccination sites will be closed Tuesday due to inclement weather:
- Louisville's Broadbent Arena was closed Monday and will be closed again Tuesday. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on Sunday said those who had appointments those days will get an email to reschedule "according to their availability." Doses will be reserved for anyone who was forced to reschedule because of the weather.
- Norton Healthcare's COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics closed "until further notice" at 2:30 p.m. Monday. "All patients with appointments after 2:30 p.m. today are being rescheduled," the health care provider said in a tweet. In an update Monday night, Norton said vaccination appointments will begin again at noon Tuesday at Norton's clinic at the Republic Bank Foundation YMCA (1720 W. Broadway).
- UofL Health's drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites at Brook and Liberty streets, Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and Medical Center South will be closed Tuesday.
"Anyone who had an appointment scheduled will receive an email with a new appointment date and time," the health care provider said in a news release. "Anyone who was scheduled to receive their second dose (Tuesday), will be scheduled within the required time for their second dose and the vaccine effectiveness will not be compromised."
Those who cannot make their rescheduled appointment should email UofL Health at covidtesting@uoflhealth.org or call 502-588-7004.
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