FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky is expanding its vaccination eligibility to anyone over 60 beginning in March.
Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday the state's regional vaccination sites will move to phase 1C on March 1, which expands the pool of eligible recipients to those over 60 and anyone over age 16 who has a high risk condition.
Beshear said during a pandemic briefing on Monday that more than 580,000 Kentuckians have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The 1C tier also includes remaining essential workers who weren't in the higher priority categories.
The state has had six weeks of declining new case numbers, and the case total of 530 on Monday is the lowest daily count since Oct. 5, the governor said.
“This is all in all some really good news,” Beshear said.
There were 13 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Monday.
Winter weather delays in shipping lines last week affected the state's vaccine shipments, Beshear said. Kentucky had expected to received more than 70,000 doses on Feb. 16 but only got about 6,000 doses.
But Beshear said the state would get a large shipment this week and officials will be able to catch up on the missed vaccination injections in the next two weeks.
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