FRANKFORT, Kentucky (LEX 18) – Governor Andy Beshear has announced the first regional vaccination site, operated by Kroger, to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to Kentuckians.
Beginning Tuesday, February 2, at 10:00 AM, people eligible for the vaccine can go to Kentucky Horse Park to receive their first dose. The site is located in the Alltech Arena (4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY).
You can schedule an appointment starting Thursday 5:00 PM at kroger.com/CovidVaccine. Appointments are required to receive the vaccine. Vaccines are distributed in the first week from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting the week of February 8, people can sign up for the vaccine Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
“At Kroger Health, we are committed to helping people live healthier lives and we are pleased to provide an easy solution to Kentuckians seeking a vaccine,” said Pheli Roberts, health leader for Kroger Louisville Division. “Our team at Kroger Health is here to help keep Kentucky and 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 are posted on the website every day around 06:00.
The COVID-19 vaccination priority will be for stage 1b people over the age of 70. All vaccination sites are requested to give priority to this population until further notice. Others from phase 1a and 1b are eligible for vaccination. People in 1c qualify if sites have additional doses so they meet the 90% goal of distributing the vaccines the state receives.
Beshear tells me they wanted to be able to deliver the vaccine to people in 1C from next week (which was the original plan), but the low supply and peaks in demand make them “need a little more time.” @ LEX18News
– Mike Valente (@ ValenteLEX18) January 28, 2021
The state’s vaccine stages are:
- Phase 1a: Long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, health care personnel
- Stage 1b: First responders, Kentuckian age> = 70, K-12 school personnel
- Stage 1c: Kentuckians age> = 60, anyone over 16 with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conditions at highest risk for COVID-19, all essential employees
- Stage 2: age> = 40
- Stage 3: Age> = 16
- Stage 4: Children under 16 if the vaccine is approved for this age group (an estimated 18% of the Kentucky population)
Three additional regional locations will be opened through partners Ephraim McDowell Hospital in Danville and Western Baptist and Lourdes Mercy, both in Paducah.
If you are going to Kentucky Horse Park to receive your vaccine, follow the signage to the Alltech Arena parking lot, which is free for visitors. Vaccines will be administered in the Alltech Arena building on the main pedestrian level.
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Kentuckians have to wait in their car up to five minutes before their scheduled vaccination appointment. People should also wear a face mask and stay socially distant from others. If you have trouble walking to the entrance, both security and the National Guard will be on site with golf carts to drive you to the entrance. In bad weather there is a social queue in the hallway so that no one has to wait outside.
This is what the vaccination site looks like indoors:
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The state is also unveiling a new website to see if you are currently eligible for the vaccine and other information tools. Go to vaccine.ky.gov or call (855) 598-2246 or (855) 326-4654 (use this number if you are hard of hearing). You can call from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 19:00.