Health commissioner and head of vaccine distribution will appear in webinar at 2 p.m. ET Feb. 10; free, but registration required

Officials who make decisions about the coronavirus vaccines in Kentucky will appear in a webinar at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Health Commissioner Steven Stack and Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray, who chairs a state task force for vaccine distribution, will appear in the webinar presented by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

After the webinar, participants will get an "Outreach Communications Toolkit" with materials and information to share with their friends and neighbors.

The webinar is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.

Four regional vaccine sites announced; health departments and some local pharmacies to get doses for people 70 and older

The governor showed video of faith leaders getting vaccinated; their names were included in a news release. The other photo shows the governor and his wife, Britainy Beshear, with memorial flags.

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Working toward the day when there is enough vaccine supply for everyone, Kentucky is opening four more high-volume vaccination sites, bringing the state's total to eight, with more in the works. 

"Now, we're not fully there yet, but we're gonna continue to work on it," Gov. Andy Beshear said at the week's last news briefing. "And if you look through the progression of where we even were a week ago, and you look at where we are now, you see how this is coming together. So bear with us, but most importantly, have patience." 

Beshear reminded Kentuckians that the lack of supply remains the greatest obstacle, saying the state is working to vaccinate more than 3 million people with only 68,000 doses a week: "You can do the math." 

Meanwhile, the state's coronavirus case numbers and positivity rate continue to trend down, but the death numbers remains high. 

Beshear announced 2,500 new cases of the virus, the lowest on a Thursday in four weeks. He said the state is on track to have four consecutive weeks of fewer cases. The seven-day average is 2,312, the lowest since Nov. 14.

In another encouraging sign, the share of people who have tested positive for the virus in the past seven days is 8.37%, the lowest in more than a month. 

But deaths remain "high, difficult and tragic," Beshear said as he announced 58 more, 18 of them from long-term-care facilities. Today's death count ties with Jan. 21 for the second highest day for deaths during the pandemic. The highest was 69 on Jan. 28. 

The seven- and 14-day death averages are both 44.3; that is the second highest 14-day average. Today's deaths took the state's death toll to 3,921.

Beshear said many deaths listed Thursday were related to the surge of cases around the holidays. He said most are from January, some are from December and one or two are from November. Reporting is sometimes delayed, and deaths aren't listed until they go through a committee to confirm they are related to Covid-19. 

"This is a trend we have to stop," he said. "We certainly need to slow it down, and each and every one of you can help by doing your part." 

Vaccines: The four new high-volume regional vaccination centers will be located in Covington, Bowling Green, Murray and Glasgow. 

Two will open in partnership with Kroger Health, one at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington and the other at Greenwood Mall in Bowling Green. Both will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 11-13. Seven-day rolling appointments can be scheduled at kroger.com/covidvaccine or 866-211-5320. 

Another site, with a long list of partners, will open at the Murray State University CFSB Center. The Murray site will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 10, and again on Wednesday, Feb. 17. To sign up for an appointment visit callowayhealth.org or call 270-753-3391.

The fourth site will be at the T.J. Health Pavilion in Glasgow. Beshear said the days and hours at this site are still being determined. He encouraged those looking for an appointment should check in regularly at tjregionalhealth.org, or call 270-659-1010. 

Vaccinations for people 70 and older will also be available at more pharmacies and local health departments, Health Commissioner Steven Stack said.

He said a federal program will send about 13,000 doses to 80-100 Walgreens stores and 40-50 independent pharmacies with the Good Neighbor Pharmacy brand. Stack said he expects it will end up being about 100 doses per pharmacy. Stack said this program may begin as soon as next Thursday.

And for the next three weeks, starting Monday, Feb. 8, every health department will receive a vaccine allocation equivalent to 1% of the population of the county or district they serve, rounded to the nearest 100, with a minimum allocation of 100 per county. He said second doses will arrive four weeks later. 

"The vaccine quantities, overall, are not enough for the task," he said, "but this is still incremental progress." 

Beshear showed a video of faith leaders from across the state getting vaccinated as part of campaign to encourage those in their congregations and communities to get vaccinated when they can. About 50 faith leaders received their vaccination in the Capitol rotunda in the last two weeks, a news release said. 

The daily vaccine report shows 401,264 Kentuckians have received one dose of the vaccine and with the additional vaccines given through a federal program that provides vaccines to the Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense, Stack said about 10% of the state's population has been vaccinated. 

Beshear said the federal long-term-care vaccine program is opening up different ways it can be used, so the state is exploring how to expand the program to other senior living sites, like assisted living or group homes. He said they are finalizing a new program and promised details next week. 

Again, Beshear and Stack encouraged Kentuckians to stay safe this Super Bowl weekend, encouraging them to keep their gatherings to no more than eight people from two households, to practice social distancing, to wear mask, to practice good hand hygiene and to stay home if they are sick.  

Tommie Speagle

Beshear honored the life of Tommie Speagle of Waco, in Madison County, who died at 96 on Saturday after battling Covid-19.  She is survived by her daughter, Beverly Morefield, her two sons, Paul Bridewell and William Bridewell, her stepdaughter, Sandy Curl, her stepson, J.C. Speagle, six grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. 

"While I'm sure it was a full life, it's not okay that it was cut short by Covid-19," Beshear said. "This is someone with a big, large, wonderful family that is really hurting today. And has been hurting since her passing. So let's think about them. Let's think about her. And let's make sure we mask up for one another." 

In other coronavirus news Thursday: 

• New fatalities listed were a Ballard County man, 85; a Boone County woman, 75; five Boone County men, 52, 67, 70, 72 and 74; a Bourbon County woman, 86; a Bullitt County woman, 79; a Daviess County woman, 88; a Daviess County man, 92; three Fayette County women, 58, 70 and 80; two Fayette County men, 76 and 86; two Franklin County women, 84 and 94; a Gallatin County woman, 74; a Graves County woman, 77; a Graves County man, 85; a Harlan County man, 69; a Hart County man, 75; three Jefferson County men, 38, 59 and 76; a Kenton County woman, 97; four Kenton County men, 68, 69, 85  and 97; a Lawrence County man, 78; four Letcher County women, 82, 85, 87 and 96; three Letcher County men, 63, 66 and 67; a Metcalfe County woman, 89; a Montgomery County man, 70; an Oldham County woman, 78; an Oldham County man, 39; two Perry County women, 71 and 85; two Pike County women, 78 and 79; two Pike County men, 73 and 89; a Pulaski County woman, 69; a Pulaski County man, 76; a Rockcastle County woman, 66; a Russell County man, 70; a Shelby County man, 80; a Simpson County woman, 77; a Taylor County man, 67; a Wayne County man, 65; and a Wayne County man, 80.
• Counties with 10 or more new cases were Jefferson, 400; Fayette, 165; Kenton, 162; Boone, 138; Madison, 112; Daviess, 82; Campbell and Warren, 75; Hardin, 52; Pike, 44; Clark, 40; Nelson, 37; Bell and Bullitt, 34; Letcher, 32; Barren, 30; Oldham, 29; Hopkins and Marshall, 28; McCracken and Washington, 25; Christian, 24; Boyd, Franklin, Grant and Laurel, 23; Henderson and Jessamine, 22; Scott and Whitley, 21; Graves, 20; Taylor, 19; Harrison, Shelby and Woodford, 18; Bourbon, Floyd, Greenup, Montgomery and Rowan, 17; Perry and Rockcastle, 16; Marion and Pulaski, 15; Anderson, Butler and Logan, 14; Allen and Knox, 13; Calloway, Grayson, Lawrence and Mercer, 12; Fleming, Garrard and Trigg, 11; and Hart and Ohio, 10.
• In long-term care, there are 380 active resident cases and 278 active staff cases, with 24 residents and 20 staff testing positive today. Beshear said two more deaths have been attributed to Covid-19 in these facilities, bringing the death toll to 2,183. 
• There are 1,340 Covid-19 patients in Kentucky hospitals; 368 are in intensive care; and 171 of those are on ventilators. 
• Four hospital-readiness regions' ICU beds are more than 80% full: Barren River, 82.41%; northeast, 82.81%; east, 82.35%; and Lake Cumberland, 97.78%. 
• Click here for the governor's news release with updates on unemployment insurance.  
• This week, 857 students and 307 staff have tested positive for the virus; 3,093 students and 478 staff are in quarantine, according to the K-12 school dashboard, which is getting sketchy; it shows 538 schools have submitted no data this week. 
• Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that it had filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of its one-dose vaccine. 
• The second dose of vaccine may cause more side effects than the first dose, including reactions like swelling at the site of injection, body aches, headache and fever, Maggie Fox reports for CNN. University of Arizona biology professor Michael Worobey explained that the first dose generates an immune response that produces antibodies "from the ground up" as well as immune cells called B cells. He said it is these B Cells that kick into gear with the second shot and create a "very big immune response" and that "is what is happening when people feel like they have been kicked in the teeth." The Lexington Herald-Leader also offers an explainer for why people are seeing more side effects with the second dose.  
• Sarah Ladd of the Louisville Courier Journal explores the inequities among Louisville ZIP codes when it comes to virus cases and vaccines. Beshear said Wednesday that Kentucky will start releasing demographic data for vaccines on Monday. Chelsea Jones of Lexington's WKYT also reports on low vaccine rates among minority groups.

Senate OKs bill for refusal of mandatory vaccination in epidemic, after removing broader exemption for required school shots

This story has been updated to reflect the bill's Senate passage on Feb. 4. 

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

A bill that would give Kentuckians the ability to opt out of a mandatory vaccination during an epidemic passed out of its committee and the full Senate in just two days; it now heads to the House for consideration. 

Sen. Mike Wilson

Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, would allow several exemptions for "any child or adult" in Kentucky who doesn't want to receive a vaccine that the state mandates during an epidemic or a pandemic. 

"Currently that is not something that is happening. The cabinet has not exercised their ability to mandate that, nor has the governor through an executive order -- and say they will not," Wilson said at the Feb. 3 Senate Health & Welfare committee meeting. "However, in the future, we wanted to make sure there was an exemption." 

Beshear spokesman Sebastian Kitchen told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the governor does not plan to require vaccinations.

SB 8 passed the Senate on a vote of 34-1-1, with Sen. Morgan McGarvey casting the only 'no' vote and Sen. Gerald Neal voting to "pass." Both are Democrats from Louisville. 

"I vote no on this measure," McGarvey said on the Senate floor. " I appreciate the work that has been done, but I stand today with the Kentucky Medical Association, the Greater Global Medical Society and  the Kentucky chapter of  the American Association of Pediatrics opposing this measure, because it is unduly vague and overly broad." 

At the committee meeting, Wilson stressed that he is not an anti-vaxxer and that he was sponsoring this bill because so many people had reached out to him. 

“I have had numerous people reach out to me who, under the circumstances with Covid, with all the mandates that were coming down from Frankfort, did not want to be made to take the vaccine,” he said.

The bill would allow adults. emancipated minors and parents making decisions for their children to opt out of mandatory vaccines in an epidemic for religious grounds, medical reasons or a "conscientiously held belief."

Wilson's original bill would have provided a loophole for parents of public school children to be exempted from vaccines required for admission to school, but the committee adopted a committee substitute without that language. Currently, students can be exempted for medical or religious reasons.

More than 30 organizations sent senators a letter dated Feb. 1 opposing the original bill, saying, "Our concern is that SB 8 has broad overreaching implications and would result in unintended negative health impacts to all Kentuckians, especially our school-age children and those who are immunocompromised."

Wilson said SB 8 would have no effect on employers. 

Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, a physician and the committee chair, spent several minutes during the committee meeting talking about the importance of vaccines, offering concern that we now have a whole generation of people who have never witnessed a lot of the "ugly diseases and disorders" that resulted from diseases now controlled by vaccines. 

But he said there is a fine line with government involvement. He said he supports public-health efforts to isolate people who have a disease, but not necessarily requiring them to get a preventive vaccine. “We can’t really force people to do the prevention, they have to make that decision themselves,” Alvarado said. “This provides choice for people.”

The Herald-Leader reports that Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey was the only "no" vote at the committee meeting, citing the fact that the medical community opposed the bill. 

At least five other bills have been filed related to immunizations. Senate Bill 117, sponsored by freshman Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg, would allow students at independent institutions and postsecondary education institutions, and those who work in health facilities, to be exempt from vaccine requirements for medical reasons, religious beliefs or other conscientiously held beliefs.

Other vaccine bills, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, are:

• House Bill 36, sponsored by Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, is described as "ensuring basic liberties regarding immunizations," and would bar the government from requiring any person to get a vaccine.
• Senate Bill 37, sponsored by Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, would bar the government from requiring anyone to get a vaccine and also would prohibit employers from requiring employees to get a vaccine.
• Senate Bill 98, sponsored by Southworth, would prohibit employers from requiring vaccinations and bans discrimination against an employee who declines to get a vaccination.
• House Bill 101, sponsored by Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, would prohibit public and private postsecondary schools or colleges from requiring students to be vaccinated except for students in health care programs.

The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children, with over 100 members, sent a letter dated Feb. 2 to Alvarado and Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, chair of the House Health and Family Services Committee, in opposition to all the bills. They also provided a vaccination fact sheet. The letter said, "Passage of any of these bills would significantly threaten the health and safety of Kentucky’s children and of the general population."

Coronavirus metrics largely stable, but deaths still high; health commissioner warns Super Bowl gatherings can spread virus

State Dept. for Public Health map, relabeled by Kentucky Health News; click on it to enlarge.

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

As most of the metrics used to measure the coronavirus continued on a positive trend in the state, Kentuckians were encouraged to minimize their social contacts this Super Bowl weekend in order to thwart the virus. 

“This is just like any other holiday or social event," Health Commissioner Steven Stack said at a news briefing. “We can’t afford to have the disease spread now. With these mutations and these variants, every time we allow it to infect more people, it gives the virus the opportunity to mutate, it gives the virus the opportunity to learn how to defeat the antibodies that our bodies are forming based on the vaccines or the natural infection." 

Stack said the safest way to watch the Super Bowl is at home with immediate family, but if you do choose to gather, it is important to follow the state's guidance that calls for only gathering with two families for a maximum of eight people, to practice social distancing, and to wear a mask at all times because "when people get together in private residences in close proximity, that is one of the single most effective ways to spread the disease." 

Beshear announced 2,592 new cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, 100 more than last Wednesday, but less than two weeks ago. The seven-day rolling average of new cases rose by 24, to 2,376 per day.

The share of people testing positive for the virus in the last seven days was 8.53%, down 0.3 points from yesterday. "That shows you that this is real," Beshear said of the decline in new cases. "It's not just a result of how many tests there are. We're seeing a decrease in the virus."

The metric that remains high is deaths, partly the result of the escalation of cases seen in November and during the holidays. Beshear announced 51 deaths from Covid-19, seven of them 60 and under. That brings the state's death toll to 3,863. Beshear noted that January was the worst month for Covid-19 deaths, and warned that "February is going to be tough, too." 

Despite the high number of deaths in Kentucky the last few weeks, Beshear said, the state is among the 10 lowest when it comes to Covid-19 deaths according to population. 

 "Let's not fumble at this late stage," he said. "Let's make sure we continue to do what it takes to protect our people through the end of this virus to the point that we defeat it." 

Masks: Asked if people need to be wearing two masks to ward off more contagious strains of the virus, Stack said theoretically two masks may be better, because it would increase the filtration in front of your mouth and nose.

However, he said if you follow the current recommendation to wear a three-layer cloth mask, you are already sort of doing that. And while masking is important, he said, "The most important thing you can do is stay six or eight feet away from everybody. And that, plus a single cloth mask with multiple layers -- you're probably pretty good." 

"I'm not going to tell you that two is not better than one, but one [mask] plus more than six feet of distance is probably still pretty good -- and what we need everybody to do all the time," he said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said in a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing that there is nothing wrong with wearing two masks. "I myself often wear two masks," he said, although he couldn't yet make that recommendation based on science. 

Vaccines: The state's vaccine report shows 385,695 Kentuckians, or 8.63% of the state's population, have received at least one dose of vaccine. Today, the state changed how it reports vaccine data, reporting only first doses allocated. 

"The single most important metric is how many people have been vaccinated, how many unique people have been vaccinated, because those are the persons who are on the road to protection from the vaccine," Stack said, As a matter of "routine course," he added, everyone who gets a first dose of the Pfizer Inc. or Moderna vaccine will get the second. 

Stack reiterated that demand is greater than the supply, and the state only gets about 68,000 doses a week. "It's going to take a while to reach everyone who wants to be immunized," he said. 

He said when one region opened its phone lines for the first time to schedule appointments, for 700 vaccination slots, it received 110,000 phone calls in the first two and a half hours.

"So please know, they are vaccinating," he said. "They're using everything they're getting as quickly as they can. It's a matter of needing more vaccine to fulfill the demand right now, which is very large."

Beshear said the state is working on a program to allow Kentuckians to sign up for a vaccine several weeks in advance, in hope of alleviating some of the anxiety people have when they try to make appointments, only to find out all of the slots have been taken for that given week. 

In the state Senate, Sen. Robbie Mills, R-Henderson, spoke to the frustration of his senior constituents, saying there are "zero vaccines available" in a three-county area and there is a perception that Indiana is doing better than Kentucky in its vaccine rollout. Mills said he has talked to Transportation Secretary Jim Gray, the vaccine coordinator, and that knows "they are trying," but it would be helpful if they knew more to be able to better inform their constituents.

 
Asked about the perception that other states are doing better, Beshear said Kentucky is a top 10 state for vaccinations, and is ahead of Indiana. He said many doses have been provided to Mills's district, and vaccines have been distributed equitably across the state. He said there is simply not enough supply to vaccinated everyone who wants one: "We're getting it out as fast as we can." 

Beshear said local health departments will be provided a consistent supply of vaccine for the next three weeks. He said the national 5% increase in vaccine shipments amounts to about 2,000 more doses for Kentucky.

The governor said he will have more information tomorrow on which local pharmacies will be getting vaccines from President Biden's Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. 

Schools: Beshear said Kentucky is still on track to be the first state to vaccinate all of its teachers who want one, increasing opportunities for more in-person schooling. But he cautioned, "One size can't fit all the different districts" because they all face different challenges. 

Further, he said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told governors in a call that to open safely, schools will need to provide for density control, universal masking, proper ventilation and community mitigation. 

He said his team is working with the state Department of Education to provide clear guidance and instruction for how schools can open in some fashion by March 1. He added that the plans will require a virtual option for families who are not comfortable sending their children to in-person classes. 

 

This week, the K-12 school dashboard shows 586 new students and 229 new staff have tested positive for the vaccine and 2,101 students and 327 staff are quarantined. 

In other coronavirus news Wednesday: 

• Today's fatalities are an Adair County woman, 59; a Ballard County woman, 63; a Bell County woman, 85; a Boone County woman, 29; a Boone County man, 79; a Boyle County woman, 82; a Boyle County man, 93; a Breathitt County man, 93; two Calloway County men, both 72; two Campbell County men, 51 and 82; a Carter County woman, 87; a Casey County man, 60; a Fayette County woman, 75; two Fayette County men, 53 and 86; a Fleming County woman, 90; two Franklin County men, 68 and 94; two Gallatin County men, 53 and 62; two Hardin County women, 85 and 88; a Hardin County man, 81; a Hart County man, 89; two Hopkins County women, 69 and 86; two Jefferson County women, 80 and 81; three Jefferson County men, 80 96 and 100; a Kenton County woman, 79; a Laurel County woman, 77; a McCracken County woman, 54; two McCracken County men, 65 and 69; two Marshall County women, 63 and 77; two Meade County men, 71 and 80; a Mercer County woman, 64; a Montgomery County man, 53; a Nicholas County man, 75; an Ohio County woman, 90; a Trigg County man, 88; a Washington County man, 93; a Wayne County man, 88; a Whitley County woman, 87; and a Whitley County man, 89.
• Counties with 10 or more new cases were Jefferson, 424; Fayette, 152; Kenton, 134; Boone, 117; Daviess, 107; Campbell, 87; Warren, 85; Hardin, 69; Madison and Oldham, 57; Bullitt, 50; Christian and McCracken, 44; Grant and Marshall, 36; Laurel and Pulaski, 33; Barren, 32; Nelson, 31; Knox, 29; Logan, 27; Pike, 26; Boyd, 23; Henderson, 22; Scott and Taylor, 21; Floyd, Greenup, Hopkins, LaRue and Lincoln, 20; Clark, Graves and Shelby, 19; Meade, Menifee and Whitley, 18; Wayne, 17; Butler, Jessamine and Ohio, 16; Bourbon and Woodford, 15; Allen, Calloway, McCreary and Mercer, 14; Hart, Muhlenberg and Simpson, 13; Anderson, Edmonson, Franklin, Garrard and Johnson, 12; Boyle, Clay, Grayson, Perry and Rockcastle, 11; Henry, 10.
• J. Michael Brown, secretary of Beshear's executive cabinet, said state prisons have 55 active staff cases and 270 active resident cases. He said these numbers have dropped in the last two weeks, when there were 169 active staff cases and 2,227 active inmate cases. He said seven of the state's 14 correctional facilities are Covid-free. So far, he said, there have been 929 staff cases and 6,884 inmate cases, and 43 inmates and five staffers have died from Covid-19. Inmates have not yet been put on a priority list for the vaccine.
• In long-term care facilities, there are 431 active resident cases and 298 active staff cases, with 28 new residents and 15 new staff testing positive today. 
• Hospital numbers are "really stable," Beshear said; 1,340 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 in Kentucky, 368 of them in intensive care and 171 of those on a ventilator. 
• Intensive-care beds in four hospital-readiness regions are more than 80% full: Barren River, 82.41%; northeast, 82.81%; east, 82.35%; and Lake Cumberland, 97.78%. 
• The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has vaccinated about 500 seniors, many of them part of hard-to-reach populations, in wheelchairs or without transportation, Jeremy Chisenhall reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Beshear has said independent pharmacies and health departments will likely play a huge role in reaching he hardest to reach populations. 
• Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville's chief health officer, recommends that most Louisville residents get tested for the virus weekly, especially if they are or have been going to work, traveling, shopping in grocery or retail stores, eating at restaurants or bars, going to in-person church, have children participating in sports, attend gatherings where people don't wear masks, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, or have symptoms of Covid-19 including fatigue, headache, runny nose, cough or loss of taste or smell, WDRB reports. 
• Side Effects Public Media, published on WFPL, talks to two scientists about vaccines in an effort to help those who may be hesitant to get vaccinated.

Judge issues order blocking 1 of 3 new laws limiting governor's powers, calling it 'a clear and present danger to public health'

By Al Cross

Kentucky Health News

A Frankfort judge has blocked the effects of one of the three laws that the state legislature passed, over Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes, to limit his emergency powers in the pandemic.

Judge Phillip Shepherd

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said the law "could likely wreak havoc with public health" by allowing businesses, schools, local governments and others to make their own rules "with no meaningful oversight or review."

The law allows facilities to remain open as long as they have a plan that meets the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the state administration, whichever is more lenient.

Shepherd said he was concerned that the law "could create chaos and undermine any effective enforcement of public-health standards to prevent the spread of this deadly disease during this pandemic," so he issued a restraining order against it until the issue can be briefed and argued at a full hearing.

Blocking a law with a judicial order generally requires the prevailing side to show that it has a likelihood of winning the case on the merits. Shepherd said there are "serious questions" whether the law is "void for vagueness" and is "an improper delegation of legislative power," as Beshear's suit argues.

Shepherd pointed to a piece of Beshear's evidence, a letter from the CDC saying that its guidelines are only that, and are not intended to be used as regulations.

He said immediate implementation of the law "would pose a clear and present danger to public health and would undermine any effective public-health strategy to contain Covid-19."

At a news briefing, Beshear said there are 174 CDC guidance documents that each business would need to consult. “I guess every business would have to look through all 174 of these, which multiple ones will apply to them, and try to figure out what they do or do not have to do,” he said. "We can't defeat a virus with this," he said, holding up a huge stack of CDC documents.

Shepherd issued the order after a conference with attorneys. He reserved action on the other two bills challenged by Beshear.

One limits to 30 days executive orders that restrict the function of schools, businesses or nonprofits, or that regulate political, religious and social gatherings or impose mandatory quarantines or isolation requirements, unless the orders are extended by the General Assembly.

Another limits a governor's emergency regulations to 30 days if they affect education, businesses, nonprofits, local governments or places of worship. Shepherd said the two bills' 30-day rules mean that they won't have effect until early March, but the other bill poses "a more difficult issue."

Shepherd laid out a briefing schedule and scheduled a hearing for Feb. 18. He had one other order: "The parties are directed to meet and confer to attempt to resolve the legal disputes."

After Beshear vetoed the bills, Senate President Robert Stivers indicated that the legislature might be willing to delay votes on overriding the vetoes while the issues were negotiated with Beshear. The governor was dubious about that, but he replied in writing. On Monday, the day before the legislature resumed its session, Stivers and House Speaker David Osborne sent him a letter saying they would hold the override votes the next day and negotiate later.

"See you in court," Beshear said. The next day, Stivers used the same words in adjourning the Senate, and Beshear filed suit.

As virus mutations pop up around the world, there may be a silver lining: a single vaccine or booster shot may thwart them all

Dr. Kevin Kavanagh

By Dr. Kevin Kavanagh
Republished from Infection Control Today

This morning I awoke to a report from Public Health of England that the United Kingdom variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated again, and now it may be resistant to monoclonal antibodies along with possibly making the vaccines less effective. The UK variant developed the same mutation that the Brazilian and South African variants use to evade the body’s immune system.

This news comes after a long line of setbacks. I was hoping that the pandemic would go away in the summer after the lockdown. Then we had the severe surge in August which was to be the last; only being dwarfed by cases and deaths in our “dark” winter. Finally, there was a glimmer of hope, life-saving vaccines were becoming available and shots were going into arms. Even if the initial vaccines required 2 shots, it was worth it. But the virus struck back and mutated, making taking a booster necessary.

Now this, the same vaccine-evading mutation is popping up all over the world, making the availability of booster even more urgent. But in this news, there may be a silver lining.

So how is there good news? Simply the fact that three different viruses with three different lineages came up with the same mutation to evade natural immunity and the vaccines. And initial reports are that it only partially evades the vaccines, they will still be effective. Thus, this is not even an optimal mutation.

In order to evade the vaccines and the body’s immunity, the virus has to evolve a mutation which will prevent a myriad of different antibodies from attaching and killing it while at the same time still be able to attach to the ACE2 enzyme receptor site. This is a tall order.

The fact that all three of these lineages came up with the same mutation, means that a single vaccine or booster shot may be able to neutralize, or at last have some activity against all of these strains.

And one needs to ask, why did these viruses not come up with different mutations? After all, they do not plan the mutations; they evolve by random chance. Maybe the answer is that this random amino-acid combination is possibly the last major mutation the virus can produce without changing its ability to enter the cells or its infectivity. Yes, there was MERS and SARS, so it is possible to see another iteration of this virus, but MERS and SARS were much more lethal, asymptomatic carriage was not common and these epidemics burned out, they were easier to control.

So, after a long string of disappointments and bad news, maybe this is the beginning of the end, and if we do see another even greater surge caused by these variants, maybe that will be the last if we all get vaccinated. And of course, we do not have to wait for a “booster” to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. If we all follow public health advice by wearing masks and social distancing, we have the power to stop future surges from taking place.

Kevin Kavanagh is a retired physician in Somerset and founder of Health Watch USA, which focuses on infection control in health care.

Advocates say restoring local governments' ability to regulate marketing and sale of tobacco products would fight youth 'vaping'

Giving local governments the ability to regulate tobacco products would help limit young people's use of the products, which youth say have increased during the pandemic, advocates said in a rally Wednesday.

At a virtual rally hosted by the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow, health advocates from across the state urged legislators to restore local control over the marketing and sale of tobacco products, as well as restoring funding for tobacco-addiction prevention and cessation programs.

Rep. Kim Moser

Using cigarettes or e-cigarettes puts people at greater risk for serious Covid-19 complications, said Republican Rep. Kim Moser of Taylor Mill, sponsor of House Bill 147, one of the local-control bills.

Youth are at risk, too, said Moser, a nurse and addiction-treatment specialist, citing a study published in January in the World Journal of Pediatrics: "Adolescents and teens may believe that their young age protects them from contracting Covid-19, but new data show that's not true for youth who vape."

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, has filed Senate Bill 81, which mirrors Moser's bill. Both measures would repeal a 1996 law, adopted after lobbying by tobacco-product manufacturers, that stripped local communities of power to regulate sales and marketing of such products.

"Our bills do not mandate that local communities pass new tobacco-control laws," Adams said. "They simply restore to communities the tools they always had before 1996 to improve local health by reducing tobacco use. We can't let up our efforts to prevent another generation from becoming hooked on tobacco products. After 24 years and in the midst of a pandemic that puts our families and neighbors at great risk, its time to restore local tobacco control to improve community health."

Sen. Wil Shroder, R-Wilder said in a video, "My philosophy has always been that first we should look at the local level and see if these issues are better handled by local representatives of the people. You know, in the same sense that we give the authority on whether or not to be a wet or dry county to our local elected officials, I think it only makes sense that we would also empower them with the ability to decide what is appropriate advertising when it comes to tobacco and vaping products."

J.D. Chaney, CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities, said, "One of the most critical functions of city governments in Kentucky is the protection of public health, and giving the communities the ability to make local decisions regarding the regulation of tobacco helps advance that important mission."

Hazard-Perry County Chamber of Commerce President Betsy Clemons added, "Local tobacco control is so important, especially in Eastern Kentucky, where we have a major focus on the importance of a healthy workforce, as well as improving the health and lives of our youth and citizens in rural Kentucky."

The rally also heard from youth advocates such as Hannah Abdon, high-school junior from Northern Kentucky, who said, "It is upsetting to me that in my community, kids will be more likely to smoke and vape because of the exposure they get to these products on a daily basis."

More than a third of Kentucky teens and pre-teens in a recent poll said the pandemic has increased students using e-cigarettes other tobacco products, and more than 14 percent said they believed that e-cigarettes are safer for them to use than traditional cigarettes. The poll was conducted by Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which staffs the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow.

The pandemic also appears to have increased use among adults. A revenue forecast by the Consensus Forecasting Group, which guides state budget writers, noted that the stress of the pandemic and its restrictions have led some adults to increase the number of cigarettes they smoke daily.

The rally also asked the General Assembly to restore funding for the state's tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which the legislature cut by 40% in this fiscal year, from $3.3 million to $2 million. The cut meant only 19 of the state's 61 health departments have such programs.

Ben Chandler, who chairs the coalition and is president and CEO of the foundation, said "We know that legislators have much on their minds during this short budget session and we're grateful to Sen. Adams, Rep. Moser, our other legislative champions, and today's speakers for recognizing that tobacco use and the pandemic are inextricably linked in a way that is just plain deadly."

Legislature overrides vetoes of three bills limiting governor's emergency powers; Beshear files lawsuit to nullify those new laws

The Kentucky House of Representatives (Courier Journal photo)

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

The legislature's Republican supermajority flexed its muscle Tuesday and overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes of six bills, three of them designed to limit the emergency powers that he says he needs to thwart the coronavirus pandemic.

Beshear immediately filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court to nullify the three bills, saying in a news release that he did so to stop legislators from stripping him of his ability "to implement lifesaving public health measures during a pandemic that has killed more than 3,700 Kentuckians." 

“Today, the General Assembly attempted to surrender to Covid-19 and accept the casualties. As your governor, I cannot let this happen,” Beshear said. “I have filed this action to continue to fight for the protection of all Kentuckians.”

Republican lawmakers are looking to limit governor's powers at a time when the state is recovering from its third escalation of virus cases while suffering more deaths; working to ramp up vaccinations; and warning that new variants of the virus could cause huge spikes in cases by March. 

Beshear announced 2,443 new cases Tuesday, lowering the seven-day average to 2,352. This is the fifth straight day the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the past seven days is below 9 percent, at 8.83%. But Covid-19 deaths remain high, from the holiday-driven escalation of cases; 32 more brought the 14-day average to a near high, 44.14 per day.

Again, Beshear argued that Kentucky has fared better than other states under his orders, seeing fewer cases and significantly fewer deaths. 

He noted Kentucky's Covid-19 death rate by population is less than two-thirds that of Tennessee, who has no mask mandate, and said: “The lesson is clear: When a governor takes action, his or her state experiences fewer deaths. When a governor does not, the results are tragic.”

With very little debate and almost entirely along party lines, all three vetoed bills were repassed by both chambers. 

House Bill 1 allows businesses, schools, nonprofits and churches to stay open during the pandemic as long as they have a plan in place that meets the requirements of the least restrictive plan set forth by either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the state administration. It repassed the House 72-22 and the Senate 29-8. 

In the House, the only speaker for the bill was Rep. Richard White, R-Morehead, who said, "I feel like us legislators are representing our constituents all across the parts of the state, and I think we should have a little voice or input in some things that's being said down here in the state."

Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport, a small-business owner, said CDC guidelines are ever-changing and are meant to be used as guidelines, not as mandates. "I find this bill to be confusing," she said. "I find it to be reckless, and I think this bill will lead to more loss of life."

Rep. Buddy Wheatley, D-Covington, said of Beshear, "Let's not tie his hands. Let's let him continue this job. Let's let him be the governor and not diminish his powers like this." 

Senate Bill 1 limits to 30 days Beshear's executive orders that restrict the function of schools, businesses or nonprofits, unless they are extended by the General Assembly. It also applies to executive orders that regulate political, religious and social gatherings or impose mandatory quarantines or isolation requirements. It repassed the Senate 29-8 and the House 69-20. 

Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said the bill does nothing to help the people of Kentucky, which is what they were elected to do. 

"It handcuffs every future executive branch official, every future governor and how they organize what they do and how they respond to crisis when we're not here," he said. "This is a part-time legislature, it is a full-time executive. We should be shaping policies that help people now into the future. I don't think this bill does that and that's why I vote no." 

Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, said he voted yes "on behalf of the tens of thousands of Kentuckians who are still waiting to get an [un]employment check; for the hundreds of small business owners who've given up their life savings, given up their life's work; the thousands of  children who have been denied a quality education. It's time to change." 

Sen. Matt Castlen, R-Owensboro, the primary sponsor of SB1, said, "To our small-business owners, our restaurants, our families at home teaching their children right now, balancing life and a job and all the other things, the past 333 days have been tough on this state. And we gladly look forward to having a seat at the table representing all corners of Kentucky."

In the House, Rep. McKenzie Cantrell, D-Louisville, asked if legislators now planned to do away with the emergency orders, noting that some of them may be tied to much-needed federal monies. "What is next?" she asked. "What is the plan?" 

The bill also strips the ability of the governor and the secretary of state to change the manner of holding an election during an emergency without approval of the legislature. 

The third pandemic-related bill is SB 2, which allows legislative committees to strike down a governor's emergency regulations. It also requires such regulations to include justification or evidence; limits the order to 30 days if it affects education, businesses, nonprofits, local governments or places of worship; and establishes rules to allow for expedited public hearings on the order.  It repassed the Senate 31-6  and the House 69-20. 

Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris, the primary sponsor, stressed that this bill allows the public to be able to comment on emergency orders, like the ones that he said stripped people of their jobs, didn't allow landlords to collect rent and restricted in-person worship. 

All three bills have an emergency clause that will make them effective immediately upon the secretary of state's signature.

Beshear announced Monday that leaders of the two chambers had just told him that they would not negotiate the issue until the override votes were taken.

House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, told the Courier Journal that he wished the issue wasn't going to be litigated, but said Beshear "has shown no willingness to work with us and have these discussions so far, so we fully expected him to litigate this to keep his unilateral power intact."

As the Senate adjourned, Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, mimicking the promise made by the governor on Monday at his Covid-briefing, said, "I'll see you in court."

Beshear's argument against HB 1 says it is "void for vagueness and places absolute and arbitrary power in the federal government," and cites a letter from the CDC director saying the guidelines "should not be interpreted as regulation."

His argument against SB 1 repeatedly notes that Kentucky has a part-time legislature, notes that it would force a governor to call the legislature into special session to extend an order beyond 30 days and claims the measure "takes an executive power and function that properly belongs to the governor as the commander in chief and gives it to the legislative branch." It says SB 1 also violates the constitution by putting the governor "under the supervision and control of an inferior officer, the attorney general, by requiring the governor to obtain the inferior officer’s written approval before suspending a statute by executive order." Republican Daniel Cameron is attorney general.

The governor's argument against SB 2 says it violates the state constitution's separation of powers "by invading the executive power and function of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services – an executive-branch cabinet – to act to address and protect Kentuckians from infectious or contagious diseases . . . " He also argues that all the bills violate the constitution's ban on special legislation and don't meet its requirement to state at length the reasons for their emergency clauses.

In other coronavirus news Tuesday: 

• Today's fatalities were a Bourbon County man, 86; a Clay County woman, 51; a Crittenden County man, 97; two Daviess County women, 60 and 88; two Daviess County men, 72 and 77; a Fayette County woman, 81; two Fayette County men, 60 and 87; a Grayson County man, 62; a Hardin County woman, 76; three Hardin County men, 59, 67 and 73; a Henderson County man, 74; two Hopkins County women, 68 and 83; four Jefferson County women, 55, 70, 82 and 86; four Jefferson County men, 63, 63, 69 and 98; a Johnson County man, 79; a Kenton County woman, 78; a LaRue County woman, 69; a Marion County man, 56; an Ohio County woman, 71; and a Pulaski County woman, 90.
• Counties with 10 or more new cases were Jefferson, 349; Boone, 144; Fayette, 140; Kenton, 132; Madison, 81; Campbell, 78; Laurel and Warren, 77; Daviess, 75; Pike, 49; Knox, 47; McCracken, 45; Hopkins and Whitley, 40; Hardin, 39; Nelson and Pulaski, 37; Jessamine, 29; Franklin and Mercer, 27; Anderson, Christian and Taylor, 26; Barren, 25; Allen, Grant and Scott, 23; Clark and Montgomery, 22; Johnson, 21; Bullitt and Harlan, 19; Clay and Ohio, 18; McCreary and Pendleton, 17; Boyd, Henderson, Logan and Monroe, 16; Oldham, 15; Grayson and Russell, 14; Letcher, 13; Calloway and Wayne, 12; Boyle, Edmonson, Floyd, Perry and Woodford, 11; Bourbon, Butler, Martin and Rowan, 10.
• Hospital numbers remained stable, with 1,335 Covid-19 patients, 373 of them in intensive care and 172 of those on ventilators.
• Intensive-care beds are at least 80% full in three hospital-readiness regions: Barren River, 82.41%; the easternmost region, 85.29%; and Lake Cumberland, 97.78%. 
• The Biden administration is increasing Kentucky's vaccine supply by an additional 5%, increasing the state's supply by 22% the week of Feb. 8, compared with the week of Jan. 25, Beshear's news release said.

E-cigarette use has risen in pandemic, Kentucky youth say in survey seeking their views of safety and policy issues of 'vaping'

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

More than one in three Kentucky young people in a recent survey said electronic cigarette use had increased among youth during the pandemic, and 14 percent said e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes.  They also overwhelming supported local tobacco control policies. 

"The perspectives of these Kentucky pre-teens and teens show us that we, as a society, still have much work to do to help protect our youth from e-cigarettes and other tobacco products that can cause them so much harm, both immediately and throughout the rest of their lives," Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said in a news release. 

The foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates conducted the survey in November and December, among 400 middle- and high-school youth in 22 counties across the state.

According to the American Lung Association, 8,000 teens a day start using e-cigarettes. In Kentucky, 26.1% of high-school students and 17.3% of middle-school students use the devices, the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found.

In the more recent survey, 34% of youth said the pandemic has increased student use of e-cigarettes or "vapes" and other tobacco products; 11% said e-cigarette use had stayed about the same; 16% said it had decreased; and 39% weren't sure either way. 

"Public health measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 may have increased parental oversight and reduced vaping for some youth, but certainly not for all," said Chandler. "The children of essential workers who haven't been able to stay home may well be the youth for whom vaping increased."

The survey also asked about the safety of e-cigarettes compared with traditional cigarettes and found that 14% of youth believed e-cigarettes are safer; 61% said they were as safe as cigarettes; and 25% said they were less safe than cigarettes. 

"Vaping products are misleading our youth to think they offer a safer alternative," said Dr. Laura Hancock Jones, a dentist in Union County. "We must continue work in the area of tobacco cessation and prevention to improve not just oral health but overall health," 

The survey also found that 70% of youth support giving cities and counties the power to pass local ordinances that will help youth be healthier now and in the future; 5% did not support giving local cities and counties this option, and 24% said they needed more information. 

KYA Executive Director Terry Brooks, spoke to the importance of youth advocates in the effort to improve the health of Kentucky's communities. 

"These survey results give youth new data to share with local elected officials and urge leaders in cities and counties across the commonwealth to more quickly and effectively act on efforts to curb youth vaping," he said.

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, and Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill have filed Senate Bill 81 and House Bill1 47 to let cities and counties regulate marketing and sale of tobacco products, a power the legislature took from them in 1996. Both the foundation and KYA support the legislation.

UK starting to offer diabetes prevention program through local extension agents trained to deliver it; first one was successful

Downloadable chart explains diabetes prevention program used by University of Kentucky.

By Katie Pratt
University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky is helping prediabetic Kentuckians prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes through a collaboration between the UK Cooperative Extension Service and UK HealthCare’s Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center.

UK extension agents deliver the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program to people who have prediabetes or are at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes and diabetes are big problems in Kentucky. According to the 2019 Kentucky Diabetes Report, 10 percent of Kentucky adults have been told by a medical professional that they have prediabetes, 12% have diabetes, and Kentucky has the nation's fourth highest mortality rate from it.

The prevention program teaches evidence-based ways to make lifestyle changes to eat healthier, increase physical activity and improve coping mechanisms. The program includes weekly meetings for the first six months with the goal of losing 5% to 7% of body weight. The second six months has fewer meetings, as the focus turns to keeping the weight off.

People who successfully complete the year-long program lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 50%, research has shown.

The collaboration between Barnstable Brown and Extension began in Washington County, where it has been successful. Scott County is to be next.

In Washington County, 12 adult participants lost an average of 5.6% of body weight, and 75% met the weight-loss goals they set at the start of the program. Also, 100% of participants stayed in the program, and said they appreciated the information and the sharing of personal stories.

Zoom meetings allowed them to continue the sessions during the pandemic. It hit about halfway through the program, which began in September 2019.

Extension agent Cabrina Buckman

“The participants were so good about being flexible, and stuck with me,” said Cabrina Buckman, Washington County extension agent for family and consumer sciences, who led the program. “I tried to keep them engaged along the way by providing them with packets and newsletters. They enjoyed Zoom once they got the hang of it.”

Buckman added, “As a result of the program, individuals overcame certain nutrition-related obstacles including making healthier snack choices and buying less junk food for snacks. Participants shared they made healthy changes to their activity by walking, ordering walking sticks and being more active overall each day. Most importantly, participants shared that throughout the program they learned they were a work in progress and tried to have more patience with themselves.”

The Barnstable Brown center was already offering the Diabetes Prevention Program to patients on UK’s campus in Lexington.

“Partnering with Extension allows Barnstable Brown to increase our breadth and depth for DPP services across Kentucky,” said Laura Hieronymus, the center's associate director of education and quality services. “This collaboration shows that extension agents can successfully deliver this program.”

In order to present the program, extension agents are trained as program lifestyle coaches. This training is coordinated through Barnstable Brown. The agents also receive support from UK specialists in family and consumer sciences.

“This program is incredibly effective at helping people reduce their diabetes risks, so we are excited that our extension agents have the opportunity to be trained through Barnstable Brown to offer it,” said Heather Norman-Burgdolf, assistant extension professor for food and nutrition in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Legislators tell Beshear they'll talk with him after votes to override vetoes; he says 'See you in court,' warns of fourth surge in cases

Department for Public Health graph, relabeled by Kentucky Health News; click it to enlarge

By Melissa Patrick and Al Cross

Kentucky Health News

The dispute between Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and the Republican-controlled General Assembly over legislators' efforts to limit his emergency powers during the pandemic is headed to court.

Leaders of the legislature told Beshear Monday that they would hold votes to override his vetoes of bills they passed to limit his powers before discussing "what modifications might improve the legislation."

Legislators, who have voiced displeasure with Beshear's emergency orders and his attitude toward them, are all but certain to override his three vetoes, and he made clear what he would do after that.

“If their comment is ‘We are going to override your vetoes no matter what and maybe we can talk later,’ I guess mine is ‘We are going to see you in court’,” Beshear said after revealing their plans at a regular briefing, at which he warned that there could be another surge in cases of the novel coronavirus.

“I cannot and will not let the health and lives of the people of Kentucky be put in this danger when we are so close to getting out of it,” he said. “This would mean Kentucky would have the least ability of any state in the United States to respond to this crisis and save lives.”

But not if a judge issued an order blocking the legislation, which has its own emergency clauses to make it effective immediately. However, the case would differ from the one Beshear won at the state Supreme Court, which said he was acting lawfully; the legislature writes the laws, and can change them.

The day's events dashed hope of a negotiated settlement. 

After the legislature quickly passed the bills Jan. 5-9, Senate President Robert Stivers indicated that it might be willing to negotiate with Beshear before bringing the bills up for override votes. Beshear responded with a two-page letter Jan. 20 to Stivers and House Speaker David Osborne to see if they would be willing to compromise.

“We put an offer on the table,” Beshear said Monday. “We followed up numerous times about whether it had been seen and whether we were going to meet, and then the day before the session is about to start we got a letter saying we don’t have time, we are going to override your vetoes and maybe we can talk after.”

The letter, which Beshear's office gave the Lexington Herald-Leader in response to an open-records request, said "We will be happy to sit down with you as soon as schedules allow and talk about what modifications might improve the legislation and its application to the ongoing pandemic." The leaders did not respond to a request for comment, Jack Brammer reports.

Also Monday, Beshear extended for another 30 days his mandate to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, and said it will be  necessary to wear them until Kentucky reaches herd immunity, which would be reached when 70% of the state's population has been vaccinated.

Beshear noted that if the General Assembly prevails in their dispute, such measures could become voluntary. One bill would limit emergency orders to 30 days unless approved by the legislature.

Pandemic status: New coronavirus cases and positive-test rates have fallen for three consecutive weeks, and hospitalizations and intensive-care use are also down, but Beshear cautioned Kentuckians to remain vigilant and remember that this is still a "dangerous time" because the numbers are still too high. 

“Folks, this isn't over. We may face another increase before we get through this,” he said, adding a reference to his orders that have restrained commerce and personal behavior to thwart the virus: “We've got to make sure that, given that we have known how to stop it three straight times, we don't do something silly and remove our ability to do what works and what's worked three straight times.”

Beshear announced 1,623 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the seven-day rolling average by 50, to 2,390 -- mainly because the new-case number was 355 higher than the previous Monday's. 

The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days remained below 9 percent for the fourth day in a row. Today, the average was 8.85%, 0.04 percentage points higher than Sunday. 

“We have seen our positivity rate decreasing” since Jan. 10, Beshear said. “That shows you that our decrease in case numbers isn’t because of any change in testing, there is less disease out there. Fewer people by percentage are getting the virus week over week.”

Vaccines: For four weeks, Beshear said the state has administered more initial doses than it has received from the federal government.

“If you’re having a hard time signing up, it’s because there just aren’t enough doses,” he said. “But we are working hard and everybody is going to get their turn.”

Kentucky's first four regional vaccination sites are opening this week. One, in partnership with Kroger Health, opens Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Kentucky Horse Park's Alltech Arena. Another will open in Danville, through a partnership with Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. Two will open in Paducah, through partnerships with Western Baptist Hospital and Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital. More are in the works.

Speaking about the challenges of supply, Beshear said the Danville hospital has already received 170,000 calls from people wanting a vaccine, but has only 300 slots. 

In Clark County, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, as many as 30 people lied about their eligibility to get the coronavirus vaccine over the weekend, according to the local health department, Sarah Ladd reports for the Louisville Courier Journal.

Asked if this was happening in Kentucky, Beshear said the state has not seen much of it, noting that some people have been vaccinated out of order when locations need to reach their 90% goal of giving all of their vaccines within seven days of receiving them. 

A news release from Beshear's office said, "422,500 initial vaccine doses have been sent to Kentucky and 362,271 have been administered: 341,575 initial doses have been sent to the state’s distribution program and 305,757 have been administered through that program; 80,925 initial doses have been sent to Kentucky through the federal long-term care vaccination program that contracts with CVS and Walgreens and 56,514 have been administered through that program."

Beshear said one thing he would do differently, if he had it to do over, would be to reject those contracts and work with local, independent pharmacies, as one state, West Virginia, is doing with great success. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's data tracker ranks Kentucky 27th for the percentage of vaccine doses received that have been administered, Becker's Hospital Review reports. It shows that as of Jan. 31, 659,150 doses have been distributed to Kentucky, and 404,705 of those have been administered, or 62.25%. Those numbers combine the state and long-term-care programs.

Schools: Last week, at least 1,330 students and 563 staff tested newly positive for the virus, and at least 6,886 students and 911 staff were quarantined, The K-12 school dashboard shows that 319 schools did not provide any data to the state. Beshear said 18 high-school sports teams are quarantined. 

Beshear said all K-12 employees who want the vaccine will have received their first dose by the end of this week, which allows for significant expansion of in-person instruction. 

Deaths: Beshear reported 35 new Covid-19 deaths, all but three of them confirmed, saying that for the first time only six of the deaths were from long-term-care facilities.

"I hope that's a sign that our early vaccinations and steps in long term care are making a difference," he said. " But again, it should be a warning to all the rest of us that this can impact you whether you're in a long term care facility, or not."

The state's Covid-19 death toll is 3,780. The seven- and 14-day death averages are both down, to 45.7 and 43.8, respectively, from highs of 47.3 and 44.4, three days ago and two days ago.

Long-term care: A CDC report published Monday said that between Dec. 18 and Jan. 17, 77.8% of residents and 37.5% of staff in the nation's long-term care facilities had received at least one dose of the vaccine in the first month of the CDC Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program.

The report does not have state-specific numbers, but a color-coded map shows less than 40% of Kentucky's long-term care staff and between 40% and 79% of residents had received at least one dose.

Asked for the state's numbers, Beshear said staff members have been given three chances to get vaccinated, which allows those who were initially hesitant to get vaccinated at the second or third visit. He added that some staff who initially declined the vaccine simply didn't want to go first and are much more willing now.  

He said he would again work to get the exact percentages, noting that the challenge is that the program is fully run by CVS Health and Walgreens for the federal government. He added that they "work and push" to get more information from them, "but it is not under our direct control." 

Beshear did not respond to the second part of the question, asking which communication and outreach strategies the state is employing to improve these numbers. 

The report notes several limitations to the study, including a possible underestimation of staff numbers because they could have been vaccinated elsewhere, and scheduling challenges for staff members who may not have been at the facility when the vaccines were offered.

Long-term-care facilities reported 18 new resident cases and 30 new staff cases Monday, bringing the number of active cases to 576 in residents and 322 in staff. Beshear said nine more long-term-care deaths were attributed to Covid-19, bringing the total number to 2,169. 

"The growth there as our overall percentage of deaths, it's not growing, it's actually now decreasing, which means we're doing a better job, especially as the vaccinations happen," he said. 

In other coronavirus news Monday: 

• Today's fatalities were an Adair County woman, 88; three Boone County men, 67, 69 and 71; a Boyle County man, 56; two Bullitt County women, 72 and 89; four Bullitt County men, 78, 79, 81 and 81; a Calloway man, 67; a Clay County man, 76; a Clinton County woman, 74; a Fayette County woman, 97; two Fayette County men, 87 and 94; a Grayson County woman, 79; a Harlan County woman, 81; a Harlan County man, 60; a Harrison County man, 60; two Jefferson County women, 45 and 78; seven Jefferson County men, 59, 67, 71, 77, 78, 79 and 95; two Kenton County men, 68 and 79; a Lawrence County man, 90; a Madison County woman, 88; and a Monroe County man, 68.
• Counties with 10 or more new cases were Jefferson, 284; Fayette, 114; Madison, 111 ; Daviess, 83; Kenton, 58; Warren, 51; Boone, 49; Shelby, 39; Franklin, 38; McCracken and Oldham, 32; Bullitt and Campbell, 28; Grant, 27; Boyd, 26; Floyd and Jessamine, 24; Pike, Pulaski and Trigg, 21; Caldwell and Graves, 19; Hardin, 17; Laurel and Mason, 16, Hopkins, 15; Scott, 14; Calloway, Grayson and Henderson, 13; Powell, Simpson, Spencer and Whitley,11; Greenup, Harlan, Knox and Taylor, 10.
• Kentucky hospitals has 1,314 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 on Monday, 337 of them in intensive care and 178 of those on ventilators. 
• In four hospital regions, more than 80% of intensive-care beds are occupied: 83% in Barren River and the northeast, 81% in the easternmost region; and Lake Cumberland, 91%. 
• The Herald-Leader, in several articles, answers a range of questions about vaccines, including one titled "Should you get your Covid vaccine if you currently have coronavirus? What to know"; another, "Will Covid vaccines need a booster shot to combat variants? Here's what to know"; and another, "The Covid-19 vaccine is free to you, but have your insurance info ready anyway."
• The one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine announced Friday has an overall effective rate of 72% in the United States, which is not as high as the other two vaccines, which are about 95% effective. But three researchers who conducted clinical trials of the vaccine in Kentucky said they were pleased with the vaccine overall, noting that it prevents serious illness and death from Covid-19, had no allergic reactions and has shown few to no side effects, Deborah Yetter reports for the Courier Journal. Another benefit is that it can be stored for several years in a freezer and three months in a refrigerator, compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require ultra-cold storage. Johnson & Johnson has said it will seek emergency authorization this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• New polling from the Covid States Project shows about 34% of Kentuckians are receptive to getting vaccinated and  4% would refuse it. Others, 22% and 19% respectively, wanted to wait until some or most of the people they know had received it first, the Courier Journal reports. 
• In an opinion piece for the Courier Journal, Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, a retired Somerset physician and the chairman of Health Watch USA, walks through the dangers of the coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom, noting that it may be 70% more infectious, 30% more lethal and more likely to infect children. He adds that the Brazil and the South Africa variants "are even more concerning." That said, he said there is hope in President Biden's seven-point plan that aims to create a standardized pandemic approach. He also writes that "For many, the virus is becoming a litmus test for reliable news sources," noting that "unreliable sources rarely if ever correct reporting errors, which have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans." 
• The Biden administration hopes to start administering vaccines to children by late spring or summer, Dr. Anthony Fauci said during a Jan. 29 White House news briefing.
• A Kaiser Health News analysis of 23 states that provide demographic data for residents who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus shows that African Americans are still receiving the vaccine at "dramatically lower rates" than white people. Kentucky was not included in the states providing such data.  The state's daily Covid-19 report shows 8.5% of the state's Black residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8.8% of them have died from it, about equal to the their approximate share of the state's population, 8.5%. This is a marked decline from June, when Blacks' death rate was about double their share of the Kentucky population.  Beshear said the state would start providing vaccine demographic information next week. 
• More than 3,000 inmates and 500 employees in Kentucky's local jails have been infected by the coronavirus since the pandemic began 10 months ago, according to a state public health database obtained by the Herald-Leader. John Cheves reports that these numbers are likely even higher, since no state agency is required to track coronavirus infections or deaths inside the locally run detention centers that house more than 19,000 people. By contrast, federal and state prisons update their case and death numbers daily, Cheves reports. Again, Beshear said the state is focusing vaccinating the correction officers and those in the state who are over 70 and those in high-risk categories. He did not say when prisoners would be allowed to be vaccinated.