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Kentucky governor, lawmakers receive COVID-19 vaccine

Piper Hudspeth Blackburn | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 10 months AGO
by Piper Hudspeth Blackburn
| December 22, 2020 2:06 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky (AP) — Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and his wife Britainy received COVID-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, together with top state lawmakers.

The Democratic governor thanked the top two Republican legislative leaders, Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers, for joining him in “setting the right example for the people of Kentucky.”

The head of the Kentucky national guard, lieutenant governor, and state police commissioner will receive vaccines on Wednesday, Beshear said.

“As more quantities become available we will be providing them to more officeholders and or critical physicians," he said. “Again, we're doing this in a way that preserves 99.99% of these for front-line workers and for long-term care but builds confidence as we go.”

About 7,000 Kentuckians, the vast majority of them health care workers in hospitals, have been vaccinated since Dec. 14. Frontline healthcare workers and long-term care residents will continue to receive vaccinations into February.

Kentucky reported 3,057 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 28 virus-related deaths Tuesday.

The state’s test positivity rate is 8.48%, down slightly from Monday. The positivity rate is an indicator of the extent of the spread of the virus, according to the World Health Organization. If the rate is less than 5% for two weeks and testing is widespread, the virus is considered under control.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. The vast majority of people recover.

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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.

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Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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