all of these create safer roads because we put our kids in our cars to travel them. We've been seeing this economic moment. I'm just build and build and build here in Kentucky in the last several weeks. This is just another clear example that we are open and we're going places all right, This next one's pretty special. And we've been waiting a while for it. On March 13th 2020. I had to make a tough call. I'd recommend the temporary closure of all senior centers throughout Kentucky. The decision was made to help protect Kentucky's older population, which As you know, was ravaged by COVID-19. During the 15 months, The 195 senior centers were closed Kentucky and stepped up, stepped up to make sure that our seniors still got services. We saw a 200% increase in meal deliveries across the commonwealth, resulting in 44 million meals served to our seniors. During the pandemic Senior centers worked with new community partners and local restaurants to eliminate a wait list for meals. In other words, even though they were close to the seniors coming in, they never stopped doing their jobs. and despite the obstacles presented by COVID-19 as well as Weather disaster. After weather disaster, Kentucky has pulled together to ensure any senior age 60 year older who wanted a meal would receive one. That is the true spirit of team Kentucky. And it's one of the things that make us special, make us special people. When times are toughest, we are at our very best. Our goodness comes out. Thanks to safe and effective vaccines. I'm excited to share that effective June 11 Kentucky Senior Centers reopen and that will be among the many venues able to operate at full capacity That day. The department for aging and independent living oversaw a senior center reopening workgroup to address concerns and ideas ahead of this june 11th day. The reopening adhere to current CDC recommendations which fall closely in line with long term care and adult day health care guidance. Anyone who enters a senior center is required to follow county level mass guidance. As I mentioned, time and time again, one life lost to this virus is too many. So please be considerate and let's continue to look after our neighbors. If your age 60 year older and in need of a meal or any other community based services, please call the aging and disability Resource center at 877 9: 50037. It's a hard thing to do. It was the right thing to do. And now on June 11 our senior centers are gonna be open again at full capacity. Like we said, the reason that we can do that our vaccines, these things are miracles. They have effectively into death and hospitalization for the most vulnerable. They are saving lives every single day and we gotta make sure more people get them. So today's update, we now have 2,058,020 nine uh Kentucky ins vaccinated or persons vaccinated here in Kentucky. If we can put up table one, This is actually a couple of days because we didn't do reporting over the last I think too. It's a difference of 19,143 since the last one. What we have seen is our our our vaccines have gone up from At the low point about 5000 or a little below a day. We've been hitting 10 on many days and we hope that we'll do that. Uh moving forward and later this week we may have an announcement. I hope on thursday about some incentives that will help us go even further. I want to congratulate a couple counties that are just getting after it. And because of that they are better protecting their people. Woodford County now 61% of their population now, vaccinated, franklin county right behind him. Uh 60% Fayette County, 57 Boone 52, Scott, Good luck, everybody, keep it up. And for everybody that's not on that list. Let's get competitive. This is how safe your county is. We want everybody to get up to that Mark couple of other pieces. We think the so so the the federal government Um, has their information updated a little bit faster than they update Tiberius. Was gives it to us on their information right now. We have 58% of all adults in Kentucky That are vaccinated, we have 57 In what we see over 80%, we believe. That's higher in the federal system for Kentucky is over 65. How high is that now steve? So over 84% in what the federal government is tracking were over 60% with 50 to 64 year olds. We haven't crested 50 we haven't crested 50% with any other age groups. So let's continue, uh, to promote, especially for our younger Kentucky, and I'm under 50. I'll take that, um, getting everybody vaccinated. Also pretty proud of our 12 to 15 year olds, almost 30,000 of them vaccinated since, uh, we, we were able to start that and we like that pace given that it's only been a short period of time without a lot of organized, uh, efforts. We got at least one clinic in, in many schools before the school year ended, but that's another place where we can do whole lot more when we look at demographics, we look at age. Um, So we're now about 30% of all of our vaccines have gone to individual 65 and up About 29% to 50 to 64 year olds, 14% of all of them to 40 to 49 year olds, 12.4%,, 30 to 39 year olds, 12.1% 18-29 year olds. And it's about 3% 12 to 17 year olds. So, again, That's an area that that hadn't been eligible other than 16 and 17 year olds with Pfizer. And so we have a lot of ground we can make up. Um, gender. We saw this narrow a bit, but it seems to have stopped really at about 55% women, 45% men, that's percent of the total um, uh, vaccinations. When we look at percent of the total population, uh, women also higher than men. Uh, then when we look at Race, you have about 2%. Asian Kentucky, ins black or African. American Kentucky is now up to 6.1%. Again, it's been inching up by about a 10th of a point. Um, uh, 10th of a percentage each week. We would like to see that improved more. I would point out that we still have a large other 8.7 that may skew some of these one way or or another Hispanic. of our vaccination efforts, non hispanic. The other portion obviously we want to do better. We want to do better for everyone. Uh now, uh, we are continuing to work on on access but more vaccine out there than ever before. So speaking of that, let's talk about vaccination openings. Still a whole lot across the commonwealth. We want to give you a couple of examples. Pikeville Medical Center still vaccinating. If we can put up the vaccination openings, okay. For this region. The pipe for Medical Center can get you in and get you out fast baptist health and Corbyn. Uh, this is an area that is on the lower end of the vaccination percentages. So there's a lot there ready to be given out. Bowling Green, caldwell County and Carroll County here already to provide vaccines. So since the beginning of this pandemic, we have been committed to counting every single loss of life that Covid has contributed to. I committed that there would be no unknown soldiers. We've held memorials remembrances as we have seen more and more and more death. And as time has gone on better reporting systems, we have learned of additional um folks that have passed away from Covid. As you know, we launched an audit and that our audit started. Um looking at november through the end of february where we knew there were significant loss of life due to death certificates that we needed to go back uh run a process to ensure they were covid deaths and then make sure those individuals were included. But what we've also seen Is every day, five or 10 um deaths that were before that period coming up from our local health departments. And given that we were still seeing those, um we wanted to extend our commitment because every Kentucky and lost to Covid needs to be recognized. That's a family that is grieving. And so we extended our audit back to the very beginning of this pandemic. In fact going back a little bit earlier just to make sure we captured everything. Looking at every death certificate, every single case that may have been questionable. That that's been sent up to us. And today I can tell you that we have completed this audit, not just for that period going forward november, that we've been reporting on a little bit here and a little bit there every day with some but going all the way back and what that means is today. Um we're going to add a number of deaths to make sure that we are fully accurate. I believe after today, we will have conducted the most comprehensive audit of deaths in the commonwealth during this pandemic. The most comprehensive audit of anywhere in the United States. What I also think it means is that we won't see deaths coming in for many deaths coming in that are 346 months old. In fact, Once we completed this audit to report today later, I'm only going to report one new death one today. I don't remember the last time that was the case. But today to make sure we are being fully accurate and to close out our audit, We're reporting 260 audit deaths. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about these. They range from March 20, first one of these that was not included in previous reporting two October 26th 2020. That's 220 days. So it's going back in the midst of this pandemic and finding about 1.8 Kentucky and in each of those days that we lost it hadn't been included, hadn't been recognized. They breakdown As 96 in Jefferson County 20 and kenton 18 and Boone eight and Franklin seven. Campbell seven and harden six and knocks six in Shelby six in Warren five and mercer and every other county has less than five. Even with this edition, our mortality rate does not change, its about 1.5% compared to a much higher national average of 1.8%. Um, doesn't change our performance in relation to other states. But what it does is it make sure that we're putting the recognition of those that we've lost ahead of any of those other considerations and making sure the full magnitude grief we've been through is fully accurate and recognized and we're going to come out of this and we're going to be able to be proud at least comparatively of how we've done. But we've got to make sure when someone has lost someone that we recognize that pain and that loss, It's about a 3.7% uh increase in um in our in our deaths. But again, we expect every other state to be doing this moving forward. Ours is just accurate and comprehensive a lot earlier. Alright. When we look at covid trends, uh let's look at our stair stepper chart, we once again um have fewer cases in the last week. These are four straight weeks of declining cases. Um I think we're now convinced that um we are on a downward trend. Even if it is a small downward trend. That's a good thing because when we had plateau where we were going up a little and down a little, the concern is we could take off again and there was a point in time where people thought that that could happen. Uh even better news. 4th straight week of declining COVID-19 test positivity. Uh and as we sit here today, we only have one of our hospital regions, uh, in the red. And it is a different region meaning region 10, which for the longest time, um, have been the one in red is now back in in the blue. Um, and what we have is I. c. U. beds in Pike County, just barely over that 80% mark. All right. Today's Covid report 137 New cases are positivity rate at 2.5%. And because we did that audit one new death first time that I when we look at new deaths that we would have them this low. It's a man from Breckenridge County 70 years old. Again, we think that as we move forward, what we're going to see are fewer and fewer deaths. Both because of the vaccines as a driving cause, but also because of the commitment. Um, in this audit and its completion, we think we are in store for much better reports for all of our families um, on the fatality side. All right with that unless I missed something. Uh, we've got several journalists on the line. We'll start with josh James from W. U. K. Y. Yeah. Hi governor. Um, I know you probably haven't had time to look at the bills being pre filed today, but I wanted to get your first impression of one. And um, I am looking at bill request 60 submitted by Representative joe fisher are dealing with the teaching of race and gender related issues in schools. Apparently targeting what's often called critical race theory. What are your thoughts on on legislation surrounding what can and can't be taught in schools on those subjects? But I think once you start legislating what can and can't be taught in schools, um, if especially in the framework of politics, it gets really dangerous. You know, our schools should be providing the best education for our Children. They should be able to have open and real dialogue and and this idea that we would try to take um something like this, or or or or almost anything and and because of politics or things going on around the country legislate what exactly will be taught in schools as is more than a little concerning to me, Sarah lad from the Courier Journal. Yes, thank you. Um what's your reaction to the federal indictment of Patrick baker for murder? And are you aware of any more details from the KSB investigations led to that? Thank you. I believe that it is good news that federal prosecutors stepped up and and um indicted this individual. I had grave concerns that our last governor without doing the homework and um in direct contradiction to such significant evidence and and to a jury that sat there and heard it all pardon someone who the evidence strongly suggests committed murder. Um So I want to be applied the federal prosecutors and to the extent that there are other pardons out there that were as bad as this one and that there are federal charges that are available. Keep it up. Karen Boyer from W. E. K. U. Hi Governor. Um The terminal concert series being held in Georgetown is offering free tickets to people who meet a couple qualifications and one of those is showing proof of vaccination. And the series advertises there will be no masks, no social distancing. And if people aren't vaccinated, they can get their first or second shot while they're there. So what should have been used for businesses offering Vaccine incentives be doing to make sure people understand that after getting the first or second shot vaccines take 14 days to be effective. Well, what we should be doing is educating everyone now. If you have a concert where um the large and vast majority of everybody is already fully vaccinated and and showed um uh their proof, then then you have a much lower risk for those that are coming and getting their first shot. And sometimes you got to look at the opportunity to get more people vaccinated, weighing it against the risk and trying to ultimately get to herd immunity. Uh So this is a concert series that I fully support. It's it's being put together as an incentive to get people protected uh and vaccinated its people thinking outside of the box. But but certainly we need to make sure that we provide the information about when people will have uh their antibodies uh and and encourage them to get that second shot too. And ultimately to get fully vaccinated. But we're going to have to do some of these things where we offer a first shot at something that people get to go to to make sure we can get as many people to get that first shot as possible. And now is the time to do it with. Our case is pretty far down um with uh with sharp positivity rate down. These are opportunities and incentives that we want to keep up. And and like I said, we hope later this week we're going to be able to announce some new incentives on the state side, we think would be pretty exciting. Melissa patrick, Kentucky, health news. Hi Governor. There's still a good number of counties that have In that 20% range of vaccine rates for either single dose or fully dose. Is the state offering any help to those counties? Any assistance to those counties to help them pull up? Uh, pull the vaccine rates up higher. Uh, well, we communicate with local health departments and their local leaders on a regular basis. We are offering mobile units, uh, to come to fairs and other opportunities that are out there. Uh, we have taken in all the different ideas and what's been offered by judges and mayors and and are trying to meet each and every one of those. Now, some of those counties, as you know, we're even potentially in a ring of counties for our female units. And so we had folks that were out there every day setting up in front of places to make it really convenient. We do need more encouragement. And some, and it's only some of these areas have, have, have, have maybe been, um, maybe had some leadership more critical Than others during COVID-19, which makes people think it's it's less serious. Even if that was the case. Now, we need people to work twice as hard about the importance of vaccinations were willing to to look at at any idea. But those areas, area businesses can also provide incentives that are out there and when you look at your workforce, that's a pretty smart thing to do. Um, again, we want to see those rates pick up. Certainly every time I'm in any of those areas, I was in one county that's on the lower end. Uh, near the end of last week. Ah, We were talking about Agri Tech, but I took 10 minutes to talk about this vaccine, especially to the younger people that were there again to continue on encouragement. Again, I hope uh, this thursday that we will have another announcement that will hopefully incentivize everyone all across Kentucky uh to get vaccinated with some pretty exciting possibilities. Tom late. Oh no. Catherine Collins W L E. X. Thank you. Um We continue to hear calls for Kentucky to opt out of the additional federal unemployment benefits to encourage people to get back to work. And we've heard from commissioner quarrels about uh possibly doing a temporary incentive for people to go back to work a temporary bonus. Um Have you thought any further about opting out of those benefits? And what are your thoughts on offering an incentive like that? Well, we we've been talking about that incentive and even talking about it publicly putting it together. So um I'm glad others think that's a good idea. You will have more information on that soon. Uh I will say it's it's it's interesting when the same people criticize you claiming you haven't processed anybody's unemployment and you've done too good of a job and too many people are getting unemployment. And sometimes you see the same story run the same day um in a in a newspaper or or or elsewhere. So here's the thing about those payments. If we get out of the Red State, Blue State or or um who wants to run for governor or all that goofiness, which um we should be paying attention to, we should be making uh important economic decisions that benefit us the most consumer spending drives our economy. Our consumer spending in Kentucky is through the roof. And if we did what some of these leaders called for and uh terminated this program earlier, you would see consumer spending drop. And I think you're gonna see a shock going through states that are doing that. It's going to take longer for their economy to recover. Now, if we have programs, and again, we're working on it to bring people back as we go, um, and to address some of this loss of, uh, what would be a loss of consumer spending then? Good. But you know, some folks, I want to look only at this idea that there may be some who are staying home because of this money, but they would cut this program for people who don't have child care, who maybe the child care center close during Covid and isn't reopened and they can't go back and then they couldn't feed their family and their kids. They're not thinking about the folks that, um, uh, need school, um, to be in the place that I know it's going to be in the fall. They're not looking at folks whose jobs may no longer exist because jobs are changing so quickly that need to get out and get that job training. We know these other obstacles exist and we're working to address. But to cut this, these payments that are not only stimulating our economy and such an incredible way, but are also helping those that are really struggling. It would be a major mistake. But we are working with business leaders uh, to to work through this and believe that we're going to have a plan. That's not a a red plan or a blue plan. Not a democrat or Republican plan, but a smart plan for our economy. The folks who just stopped playing politics, stop the goofiness. We get this thing done, we get it done for the benefit of all our families. I committed to leaving politics far behind and I've had to make the decisions to prove it. And we're going to do the same thing in analyzing this and come into the best decision tom late check from Kentucky today. Hello, governor. Thanks a lot. Uh a line of what you said last week to a question about Sunrise Children's Services. Uh there seems to be a chance to bite administration will implement the regulation requiring them to get the waiver so that they can uh extend the contract with the state. Uh you indicated that this could happen by the end of august. So since we're looking at august versus the current june 30th deadline, would you be willing to extend the contract for two months to see if the biden administration acts? We wouldn't have to extend the contract. We just agree to keep placing kids there until we get a final decision from the federal government. And yes, I think that be something reasonable to do. So we we don't fight about something that there is an ultimate answer that it comes down now tom this is something that you know the cabinet and sunrise. Um We're having this this disagreement about federal law for and we stepped in and and and the governor's office has already made that offer, sadly we haven't heard back, but it seems really reasonable to me um Why fight over something that may be decided, you know, a month and a half from now? Andrea ash from W. H. S. Thanks Governor. Um A few months ago we heard that there was an attack on the US system that resulted in like the letters being sent out with instructions on people to reset their pins. Um And since then we've received a few people that have told us that they've received additional letters and just kind of wanted to do a check. Has there been a breach since that attack? And are those letters just you know, arriving to people maybe late or has there been a new security threat? And then also a second question. Um And this is a rerun from last week since we have not been able to get like a direct answer from Labour Cabinet. Um But we continue to hear from people that have had in person appointments, but their issue has not been resolved with regards to their unemployment claims. And what are those people supposed to do? Um And they're just looking for answers from us? So we told them we would ask, well I don't know about any of the individual cases because because there could be many different problems, one could be that you don't qualify uh in the first place. The second is that you've you've gotten rid of um the issue, but the people may have to re register because the federal government requires that and or request payments for the weeks going forward. Uh There could be um an identity issue um in person appointments have have really helped, but that they don't guarantee that someone is is eligible, but that would be a case by case basis uh for for what would still need to be done. Um What I would do if I was that individual um and I know it's frustrating at the very least, try to sign up for another appointment. Try to call in uh as as well. But if you want to send us any of those specific names that have already had that in person appointment, we will absolutely look those up. We have not had to my knowledge any other major attack, like the ones that were ultimately changing people's bank accounts, which required us uh to to uh send out those pen letters. But the pen letters went in three waves. So the timing may be a little different. And I will check to see if we sent out a second letter to anybody who hasn't reset their pen. But if people have successfully reset their pen and and are in the system, what I would say if you've got another letter is go ahead and log back in the way that you did. Just make sure all as well. And and we don't think that there will be any additional issues from there. All right folks, our last and final regular covid up they provided the virus doesn't take a new turn Is going to be on June 11 day that so much lifts. Uh we'll look forward to seeing you then. If you have not gotten vaccinated, please go out and do it. Thanks