Capacity restrictions and physical distancing requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly all venues, events, and businesses that cater to 1,000 or fewer patrons can be lifted once 2.5 million people in Kentucky have received at least one dose of a vaccine, Governor Andy Beshear said Monday.
In addition, he will end the curfew for bars and restaurants, he said.
“The question is, how quickly can we get there? With the vaccine supply we have, we could get there in as little as three-and-a-half weeks from now. That minimum time frame might not be realistic, but we should get there in four to six weeks if we are intentional,” said Beshear. “We have to try everything to reach this point as quickly as possible. That will help us have a more normal summer than any of us could have imagined this winter.”
Masking would remain in effect and mass gatherings would still be limited until COVID-19 variants are under control and more Kentucky children are able to be vaccinated. The governor said Kentucky has reported cases of all three variants of concern: the B-117 variant first detected in the United Kingdom, the B-1427 and B-1429 variants first detected in California and the P1 variant first identified in Brazil.
The governor said he estimates more than 1.6 million Kentuckians have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; he added that vaccination data would update to that number in the next two to three days after the state’s reporting system completed a security upgrade.
Kentucky recorded an additional 270 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, including 18 in five Northern Kentucky counties.
There were 8 new cases in Boone, 7 in Kenton, 2 in Campbell, 1 in Grant, and none in Pendleton.
A 56-year old Boone Co. man and 76-year old Kenton Co. man were among the seven deaths reported statewide on Monday.
The state’s positivity rate is 3.16%.
There are currently 380 people hospitalized in Kentucky due to COVID, including 104 in intensive care units and 54 on ventilators.
-Staff report
Photo: The vaccine site operated by St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Erlanger (RCN file)