FRANKFORT, Ky (18 LEX) – Gov. Andy Beshear has announced the first regional vaccination site, operated by Kroger, to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to Kentuckyians.
Starting Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m., people who meet the requirements to get the vaccine can go to Kentucky Horse Park to receive their first dose. The site is located inside the Alltech Arena (4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY).
You can schedule an appointment starting at 5pm on Thursday at kroger.com/CovidVaccine. Prior appointment is required to receive the vaccine. Vaccines will be distributed Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the first week. Starting the week of February 8, people can sign up to receive the vaccine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
“At Kroger Health we are committed to helping people live healthier lives and we are excited to be able to provide an easy solution for Kentuckians looking for a vaccine,” said Pheli Roberts, health leader in the Kroger Louisville division. “Our Kroger Health team will accompany you to keep Kentucky and the surrounding communities healthy and safe.”
Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray says there will be 3,000 appointments available in the first week, about 600 people a day. New appointments will be added to the website around 6:00 a.m. each day.
The priority of vaccination against COVID-19 will be that of people in phase 1b over the age of 70. All vaccination sites are asked to prioritize this population until further notice. Others of phases 1a and 1b will be eligible for vaccination. 1c people will be eligible if the sites have additional doses, ensuring that they meet the 90% goal of distributing the vaccines the state receives.
Beshear tells me they wanted to be able to offer the vaccine to 1C people starting next week (which was the original plan), but low supply and rising demand make them need “a little more time.” @ LEX18News
– Mike Valente (@ ValenteLEX18) January 28, 2021
The vaccination phases of the State are:
- Phase 1: Long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, health personnel
- Phase 1b: first aid, Kentuckians age> = 70, school staff K-12
- Phase 1c: Kentuckians aged> = 60, any person over the age of 16 who has the highest risk conditions for COVID-19 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all essential workers
- Phase 2: age> = 40
- Phase 3: age> = 16
- Phase 4: Children under the age of 16 if the vaccine is approved for this age group (estimated to represent 18% of Kentucky’s population)
Three additional regional sites are opened through partners Ephraim McDowell Hospital in Danville and Western Baptist and Lourdes Mercy, both in Paducah.
If you head to Kentucky Horse Park to receive the vaccine, follow the signs to the Alltech Arena car park, which is free for visitors. Vaccines will be administered in the Alltech Arena building, on the main pedestrian level.
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Kentuckians should wait in their vehicle up to five minutes before the scheduled appointment for vaccination. People should also wear a face mask and stay socially distant from others. If you have difficulty walking to the entrance, both security and the National Guard will be on site with golf carts to drive you to the entrance. In case of bad weather, there will be a social distance queue in the hallway, so no one will have to wait outside.
This will be the vaccination site inside:
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The state is also introducing a new website to see if it is currently suitable for vaccine and other information tools. Go to vaccine.ky.gov or call (855) 598-2246 or (855) 326-4654 (use this number if you have a hearing impairment). You can call from 8:00 to 19:00 from Monday to Friday.