FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) – Governor Andy Beshear has announced the first regional vaccination site operated by Kroger to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to Kentuckians.
Starting Tuesday, February 2, at 10:00 a.m., people who qualify for the vaccine can go to Kentucky Horse Park to receive the first dose. The site is located within the Alltech Arena (4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY).
You can schedule an appointment starting at 5pm on Thursday at kroger.com/CovidVaccine. Appointments are required to receive the vaccine. The vaccines will be distributed on Tuesday-Saturday between 10:00 and 16:00 in the first week. Starting with the week of February 8, people can register to receive the vaccine from 10:00 to 16:00 from Thursday to Saturday.
“At Kroger Health, we are committed to helping people live healthier lives and we are happy to provide an easy solution for those Kentuckians looking for a vaccine,” said Pheli Roberts, health leader for the Kroger Louisville Division. “Our Kroger Health team is at your service to keep Kentucky and the surrounding communities healthy and safe.”
Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray says 3,000 meetings will be available in the first week, about 600 people a day. New meetings will be added to the site around 6:00 am.
The priority of COVID-19 vaccination will be people in phase 1b over the age of 70. All vaccination sites are requested to give priority to this population until further notice. Others in phases 1a and 1b will be eligible for vaccination. People in 1c will be eligible if the sites have additional doses, ensuring that they meet the 90% goal of distributing vaccines received by the state.
Beshear tells me that they wanted to be able to offer the vaccine to people in 1C starting next week (which was the initial plan), but the low supply and rising demand mean they need “a little more time.” @ LEX18News
– Mike Valente (@ ValenteLEX18) January 28, 2021
The vaccination phases of the state are:
- Phase 1a: long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, health care staff
- Phase 1b: First respondents, Kentucky> 70, school staff K-12
- Phase 1c: Kentuckians aged> = 60, anyone over the age of 16 with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the highest risk for COVID-19, 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 be 18% of the Kentucky population)
Three additional regional sites are being opened by partners at Ephraim McDowell Hospital in Danville and Western Baptist and Lourdes Mercy, both in Paducah.
If you head to Kentucky Horse Park to get the vaccine, follow the signs for 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 the vehicle up to five minutes before their scheduled vaccination schedule. 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 guide you to the entrance. In case of bad weather, there will be a social distance queue in the lobby, so no one has to wait outside.
Here’s what the vaccination site will look like inside:
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The state is also revealing a new website to see if you are currently eligible 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 between 8:00 and 19:00 from Monday to Friday.