NKU to hold in-person commencement ceremonies for May graduates
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Updated: 5:18 PM EST Mar 8, 2021
WLWT Digital Staff
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Updated: 5:18 PM EST Mar 8, 2021
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Good evening, Team Kentucky. Good evening, Virginia. This is Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman here to give some good news items, and I'm going to kick it off with a very special economic development announcement. Uh, that really demonstrates the resiliency of Kentucky INS. On December 2nd, wholesale hardwood interiors was hit by a disaster when a fire broke out that resulted in a near total loss of its headquarters in Campbellsville. Only about 20,000 square feet of the 120,000 square foot operation was able to be partially salvaged. Now, only three months later, the company is not only back in operation, but it is also growing its presence in Taylor County and creating new job opportunities for Kentucky residents. Uh, W H I is moving forward with plans to construct a new facility at its existing location on the Campbellsville bypass, expected to be fully operational within 12 to 18 months. The company is investing a little over $7 million into this rebuilding and expansion effort and will create 100 full time jobs in the process. Clearly, this is tremendous for wh I, Taylor County and the Commonwealth. The company has operated in Campbellsville for 35 years, growing to include 12 warehouse locations throughout the state. Uh, wh I employees over 100 people in total, with warehouses in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Louisville, Richmond and Walton, as well as facilities in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee. This is a company that has has an impact throughout our state and the surrounding region, and its recovery and continued success is important for so many Kentucky ends and so many Kentucky families. We've spoken a lot about our effort to build back stronger than ever in Kentucky, and we're building something special here in Kentucky, and we've been doing it with companies like W H I. So I want to thank everyone at wholesale hardwood interiors for their commitment to the Commonwealth, and I look forward to seeing the company reached new heights in the years ahead. Okay, My second piece of good news. I'm actually gonna call this excellent news. So we've got two good news items in one excellent news item. Um, the this has to do with the Kentucky Broadband Initiative. And as you know, our administration has been committed to providing broadband Internet connectivity to every single Kentucky and no matter where you live because we understand that closing the digital divide is critical for economic development, for education and for creating the jobs of the future right here in the Commonwealth. So in January, we announced the speed test Kentucky and online Internet speed test that helps us map broadband coverage and connectivity across the state. The speed test will remain active for one year, and Kentucky INS can continue to take the test. But we set a deadline for March 1st so that we maintain that sense of urgency, Uh, as this is a priority for our administration and we won't rest until we fulfill our promise. Um, so as of our self imposed deadline of march 1st, I'm happy to report that over 81,000 Kentuckians have taken the speed test. This is a great response, and I'm gonna give you some comparisons from other states in the country and then to let you know what our national partner has said. Uh, in one month, we have outpaced much larger states that began their speed tests. Six months ago, Geo Partners called Kentucky a shining light and said that we accomplished in six weeks what other States have accomplished in six months with over 81,000 completed tests, Kentucky has more than double the number of tests as the next highest state. This is another example of Kentucky leading the way, which means we now have enough data to put together a strategic plan to build out broadband service in Kentucky. Even still, we do need more responses from a few counties. So if you live in Christian County, Bullitt County, Boone County or Jefferson County, we really need you to go to speed test Ky. UH, speed test dot ky dot gov to help us to collect more data. But with the data we do have, what we do know is that there are 71 counties that are able to move forward with grant funding request. That's that's pretty remarkable, especially for a six week time span. We're doing this, of course, as quickly as we can, but it will be an ongoing project as we continue to collect data from across the state. So I want to give a huge thanks to our partners who made this such a great success and has really helped Kentucky emerged as a national leader in this work. Um, I also want to take everything every Kentucky and that took 30 seconds out of their day, uh, to make sure to help their neighbors in need. So remember that if you still haven't taken the speed test, we still need you to The more data we have, the better work we can do. Uh, and so you go to a speed test dot ky dot gov to take that test and to give us even more information to build an even stronger foundation here. We're really excited about getting to work laying the last mile, Um, for Kentucky ins across the commonwealth. So thank you. And our last piece of good news here, the sun has been shining. So I've got really good news about getting outside. Um, we have great news for 12 Kentucky communities today. I'm excited to announce more than $692,000 from the Recreational Trails program has been awarded to improve parks and recreational spaces across the Commonwealth. RTP is a competitive federal program aimed at improving communities and enhancing quality of life which aligns with our goals here in Kentucky. So safe green spaces provide a place for our families. Exercise and spend quality time together, allowing you to get out of the house, especially after a year of surviving a pandemic. So, um, as we work to build a better Kentucky, those quality outdoor spaces will help us to continue to build world class tourist destinations here in Kentucky. Uh, these improvements will attract tourism dollars. They will strengthen our economies as we work to reinforce our post pandemic economy and build the better Kentucky we've always imagined. So let me read off a few places here that are going to receive some funding. Carroll County will receive $35,750. Franklin County 20,000. Dollars Garrett County, $44,804 Harlan County, $200,000. Hart County will receive 100,000. Henderson County will receive 37,184. Martin County will receive 14,829. Perry County will receive 34,746. Shelby County will receive 125,000. Uh, Madisonville will receive 20,000 Morganfield, $21,274 and last but not least, Corbyn will receive $38,471. So these selected applicants must still undergo an environmental review and receive clearance from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and approval by the federal Highway Administration before receiving the funds. So congratulations to all of the selected communities. Because of your work, families in all corners of Kentucky will have access to better parks and recreational spaces, and we all know we need them at this point. Um, so I'm very excited that the vast majority of these projects are in rural Kentucky as a rural Kentucky. I know how beautiful our entire state is, and I want us to make sure that we are invested in every area of Kentucky and as, um, grateful to have the governor's support in that. So we look forward to the completion of these projects and the prosperity that they will provide across the Commonwealth. And that wraps up our good news today. So, Governor, I'll turn over to you. Okay, Thank you to our lieutenant governor. And before we get into the covid report, just a quick update for all of our Kentucky INS who have suffered, uh, due to the recent flash flooding, Uh, and or the ice and snowstorm. FEMA is on the ground. Um, evaluating both events right now in its first set of counties. Um, I have spoken today with our contact in the Biden administration stressing how critical this is in the importance of individual assistance. And we are going to continue to push that to anybody out there who lost their home had it damaged, or the rest please document each and every one of those losses. It's going to be critically important, because if we can get individual assistance, it will provide 30 plus $1000 up to that that can that can help individuals. We're gonna push just as hard as we can. For that. I want to thank those out there that are providing goods and or are holding the telethons that we are seeing. There have been multiple of them, uh, to help those in need. You are not alone. You're not alone. Our National Guard continues to be on the ground. Help is there, and we are going to help you rebuild. Remember, it's about 30 days from the event. Tell when we can get a presidential declaration. Uh, it takes a documentation. It takes a full submission. We're working towards that right now. All right, Um, let's recap the last week, uh, in covid, we had our eighth consecutive week, week of of covid declines. Remember, we had never had four consecutive weeks before this current set of declines, and we are now down to pretty much where we were in September as the numbers had just started taking off. This is the exact type of trajectory we want to see as we are vaccinating people. This is, uh, in many ways, a race against time against the variance. If we can continue that that downward trajectory while increasing the number of people vaccinated, then we can hopefully get to the end of this thing. Uh, sooner rather than later, the President has made a promise that all adults that want to be vaccinated we'll have an opportunity to get at least their first shot by the end of May. And so that means we gotta keep hustling to make sure we continue to see these numbers drop just as positively. Um, are is the positivity rate. Uh, it continues to decline. Last week um, being being just at about 4.12% Which again is the lowest sense at least periods in October, if not before. Remember, this is a leading indicator. Uh, so it is positive news of what we're gonna see moving forward. Some states have plateau. Um, we don't want to see that. We want to see continued declines. And as we do, it'll give us more opportunity, uh, to either increase capacity for certain things, reduce restrictions. We got to do that right. We gotta do it incrementally because we're so close to the end. We don't want to sacrifice Kentucky inns along the way. Good news. Our our hospital capacity is in good shape. The inpatient census. Well, that's That's the hospital capacity across the state to areas in the red zone. Neither of them are concerning for us right now. They're both about ICU. Bed space one just barely, uh, hits the red mark about plenty of capacity around. Let's look at the inpatient census graph. Uh, as you can see, the number of Kentucky and in the hospital for covid is has plummeted, and we want to see it continue on a fall. Uh, in the I. C. U as well. This means not only are less people getting sick enough to be in the hospital, less people are getting sick enough to need the ICU bed when they're in the hospital, Kentucky and on a ventilator. Also decreasing. It says good news, and and we want to see it continue. In that vein, Today's report is one of the better ones we've had Today. We're reporting just 331 new cases of Covid 19. That is the lowest since September 14th. Um, everything's down. Kentucky is currently hospitalized due to COVID. 539 currently in the I. C U 161 currently on a ventilator due to Covid 82 r positivity rate today down to 4.6%. We want to see that continue to decrease as well. We're reporting 10 new deaths today. A 76 year old man from Boone County, two men from county, ages 74 93 a 66 year old man from Franklin County, an 80 year old woman from Harrison County, 62 year old man from Henderson, two men from Jefferson ages 83 84 um, a woman from Logan, age 63 a 73 year old man from Muilenburg. Some of the best news that we see is in long term care. Just three of those 10 individuals, 30% or long term care residents again, that's plummeted from two thirds to a third or less. Just three new, um, resident cases. Eight new staff cases, two new deaths attributable to to long term care given, um, the vaccinations that are that are out there, um, and and a few other updates. We have Dr Stack today to talk about the new CDC guidance for those that have been vaccinated. It should be a very good incentive to get vaccinated on what it does, but also what it does not allow, as well as an update on a couple of new cases of the variants that we are seeing here in Kentucky. So over the doctor stat. Good afternoon, everyone. And hello, Governor. So I'd like to give you these few updates that the governor mentioned. So today the CDC released new guidance. The guidance is to give information to people who are fully vaccinated and What restrictions may be able to be removed for those people who are fully vaccinated is that there's a lot for giving there's noise here in my neighborhood. Sorry. So there's a lot of information in these, um, in this document, and it's going to take us some time to kind of think through it and what the implications are. But I'll break it down if I can into a few big buckets, first of all, for people who are fully vaccinated. So this would be for adults who are fully vaccinated. The CDC is now saying that those individuals within their own households can gather in small groups with other fully vaccinated adults. Of course, people under 16 are not yet eligible for the vaccination. It's not authorized for them, but for the households where all the adults are fully immunized, uh, completely through the series in two weeks past the second dose for a two dose series, you can gather in small settings. They don't specify the numbers, but in small settings in your private household. If though vaccinated and unvaccinated people mixed together in a gathering in those instances, generally you should still practice social distancing and where your masks with a few limited exceptions and they pretty much make an exception. That sounds like our current guidance in Kentucky that two households, or a maximum of eight people, could get together. Um, if you had a mixture of vaccinated and unvaccinated. So maybe use that in Kentucky for a placeholder until we get more information on this. Uh, the other guidance and this is really important is when you are out in public when you are out in public settings, whether you are vaccinated or not, the CDC is still asking everyone and urging everyone to please wear your mask socially distanced. Practice your hand hygiene and cough hygiene. Cough into your sleeve, not into the open air. And please continue to do those behaviors until we get everybody vaccinated, particularly the most vulnerable in society. Um, additionally, there is no change to the travel guidance, so there has been no relaxation of travel guidance by the CDC yet in relation to vaccination status. Um, so please, this is this is good news. This is a big development, but we have to be careful. A real concern I think most public health professionals have is if people misinterpret this as we don't have to pay attention to the virus and we don't have to do our masking and social distancing. That would be a mistake. If we do that, we run the risk of supercharging the pandemic when hopefully we should be getting near the end of the pandemic. And along those lines we found some more cases of the B 117 variants of covid 19. That's the strain of the virus, the mutation that was first found in the United Kingdom. At this point, uh, it is inevitable that it will continue to multiply and expand in its presence in the state of Kentucky unless we take all of the important public health measures of masking social distancing. And we all get vaccinated as soon as we are able to and have access to it. So, please, when it's your opportunity to get vaccinated, I sure hope you'll accept the vaccine. It'll help keep you safe, your loved ones safe in our community safe and then the final point related to the vaccines. We still have not yet received guidance for long term care facilities and assisted living facilities that are regulated by the federal government through Medicare, Medicaid, we are as eager as family members, and residents of those facilities are to give new guidance and allow enhanced visitation. We have already done that in sittings are situations or settings where we have the ability or the authority in Kentucky to do so. But the federally regulated facilities are going to have to have guidance from the federal government that permits that visitation as soon as we have that we will look forward releasing it, uh, and making sure you have access to that so we can safely get back to seeing our loved ones and enjoy each other's company. So good news on the vaccine front, and we're gonna keep working as hard as we can to expand our network and get everyone the chance to get vaccinated as soon as supplies make it possible for everyone to have that opportunity. So thank you very much for all you've done Kentucky and back to you, Governor. Well, thank you to Dr Stack, I I think that last point. We still hear some that are confused. It's mainly the skilled nursing facilities that are, uh, covered by the federal government through Medicaid and Medicare. We we are waiting their guidance. Um, those other facilities that are not we've allowed enhanced visitation. Where where everybody is vaccinated. I know a lot of people are getting to see their loved ones. If, uh if your loved one is in a facility, though, that is governed by the federal government, we understand you're anxious. We hope that they will come out with their guidance very, very soon. All right, let's move to, um, vaccines. Um, let's start with table, too. Remember, uh, the week of February 23rd had been the most vaccines we had ever. Uh, putting people's arms in a single week with one day to go This week, we have already surpassed it. So this week, And remember our vaccine weeks run through Tuesday's, um, Tuesday through the following Monday because that's when we get the vaccines. Each week we've already vaccinated 113,811 individuals, and we have one more day to to go. We are catching up from that large amount of supply we got after weather delayed it for a week, and we are excited about how many Kentuckians right now are getting vaccinated. If we look at table one, uh, currently in Kentucky, we now know 834,130 individuals have been vaccinated. And that's through the various programs. Uh, state and federal. That means certainly for, uh, population over 18. You can only get, um, two of the three vaccines. If you're over 18, we have vaccinated 25% more than a quarter of the eligible population in Kentucky. So a year and two days after the very first case of covid and Kentucky and we have three highly effective vaccines and we vaccinated a quarter of our adult population, we want to move forward even faster. But I think that that that's something we should all be very thankful and grateful for, while at the same time working to make sure each and every one of you get that shot of hope as soon as possible. Uh, going through the demographics, which we do on Monday of the vaccines. Let's start with age. So as we look at age, um, about 36.4% of all our vaccinations have been age 70 and up 70% of all of our vaccinations have been age 50 And, uh, that's a good sign. Let's move to gender. We're 60. 40 again. We think that this is going to balance out a little bit more. But we are, um, trying to see if there is more hesitancy. Some of the national polling has suggested that amongst men, um, ethnicity, 98.87% non Hispanic, 1.13% Hispanic and then on race, we've picked up just a little bit, but still a long way to go. Um uh, White, 86.21%. You see Asian, about 1% black or African American, now up a little to 4.77%. We still need to do better. Uh, we are being intentional. We have a number of community clinics that are currently operating and will be in the coming weeks. In the coming months, I want to thank all the leadership out there that's helping to make that happen. That came from community conversations where leaders in those communities proposed what they believe would work best to get the most people vaccinated and to address historical hesitancy. That certainly is justified. Um, those are the demographics that that we have today again, we will continue to work on an equitable distribution of this vaccine. That's not just a value. It's a requirement of this program. With that, we will open it up to questions. We'll start with Joe Ragusa from Spectrum. Hi, Governor. So I have a couple questions, really about some legislative stuff. Um, I wanted to ask first, uh, what your thoughts are if you've if you've seen Senate Bill 1 69 which is a bill enhancing benefits permanent disability benefits for retirement benefits, rather for those who have to medically retire first responders who are injured in the line of duty. Um, and also kind of in a more general sense. You know, lawmakers sent a slew of bills over to your desk on on Friday, including a few bills. I know that you were in favour of Senate Bill seven. The unemployment overpayment benefits, uh, Bill and Senate Bill 67 to alcohol to go, bill. So what? Your thoughts with the bills that they passed on Friday. So I have I've not had an opportunity to fully read Senate Bill 1 69. certainly we want to be there for our first responders who are harmed on the on the job. I want to read through all of that. Um, a lot of the bills passed on Friday weren't enrolled. Meaning they couldn't get to my desk because one of the chambers had adjourned. We expect to get whole lot of them when they come back in session. Certainly there are a number of those bills that I will sign, Um, that I am in favour of, um actually, there are a couple that reached my desk that are critically important. Uh, taking federal health care reform and putting the mental health parody into state law is something that I've been pushing for a number of years. So that's really exciting. Cap on insulin. Uh, incredibly exciting to alcohol to go, which is another one of those that's come out. So I think you're gonna see that while, um, I vetoed a number of the early bills, which I think everybody expected. Uh, there's a lot of them that are coming to my desk that that I will sign and I'll be I'll be proud to sign. That will help move us forward. Now it's it seems like the Legislature, Um is definitely focused on a number of important areas now, healthcare being a big one. And and that's good to say. Now I know that a lot of their attention has turned to the budget, which is critically important. We have the dollars to invest. We have the dollars. Now is the time that we're going to determine our post covid future our our role in the new economy. And we've got to be bold. And, you know, no one's ever ever been at the point where we are where you don't have to borrow to stimulate your economy in the midst of a recession. So of course, we should do it. Mike Valenti from W L A X. Yeah, thanks, Governor. You've talked a lot about the importance of passing another COVID relief package. It looks like that will happen. The House is slated to vote on that tomorrow, but I want to ask you about a provision that is not in the package, which is the minimum wage hike to $15. Obviously, we know the Senate parliamentarian ruled that it couldn't be included in budget reconciliation, and the Senate removed it after it was passed through the House version. Would you have liked to see the minimum wage provisions included in that bill? Do you support the minimum wage increase to $15? So first, let me say the the American Recovery Act is critical to get past. It's going to provide more than $2 billion in state aid to help us do really important things in Kentucky that can generate jobs now. Water and sewer projects. Just think about it. We could use these dollars to ensure that every Kentucky and has access to clean drinking water. How long have we wanted to make that a reality that's possible? There you can use those dollars on broadband. Uh, the house has certainly pushed a bill that has a substantial broadband investment in it. Uh, this can can just add more. You can provide significant relief to households to businesses, uh, to to industries. We pay off the U I loans, so it's going to be incredibly important for us. And that's just on the state level. There's about another $2 billion that will go to cities and counties, opportunity to do some really special things that help us sprint out of Covid, uh, into a bright future. And if we do it in a smart way, reduce future expenditures by by attending to our infrastructure needs the ones that we can water sewer broadband under the bill. Now I do think the minimum wage needs to be raised. I think that it's a more complicated conversation, though, than just picking a number and saying it should. It should hit that mark because I believe that your total compensation is wages plus benefits. And if we raise the minimum wage to a certain level. But people aren't getting health benefits, for instance, then their total compensation, uh, in in what they need to to to survive. Whereas, you know, if you were talking about $15 an hour and and and no health care versus $13 an hour and health care, they're just they're different. It's it's it's not apples to apples. So I certainly believe the minimum wage needs to be increased. But I think we have to have the conversation in with the benefits that are offered so that we truly can reach that that point where everybody can get by on on the salary or the wage that they're paid Chad Hedrick from W K Y t. Hi there. Governor. I wanted to ask you, uh, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has said that state state health leaders there say that for two weeks they need to see 50 cases or less per 100,000 before they're able to start lifting health restrictions and orders. Are you looking at having some similar threshold in Kentucky to say Okay, once we hit this amount of cases per 100,000 or however long we can start lifting more orders? Well, we we certainly, um, at least adjusted and order recently to allow more capacity in just about every part of our economy, provided that you can have the distancing. So we started, um, that what we look at is we want to see declining cases. We want to see declining positivity rates. We want to see increasing pace in vaccinations, but we're going to do this step by step with the variants out there. We know there's the threat for it to pick back up, so, you know, as cases step down, um, we'll step down on the restriction side as well, So we will do this thoughtfully. and we will do it, um, in in steps again. I don't think you just rip off the Band Aid, which you've seen, um, in Texas and Mississippi were just too close to the end. And I want people to to realize that's got to be part of how we think, too. We are so close what, two months and two weeks, Three weeks until every single adult who wants a vaccine can get one. Think about how short of a time period that that is. So while we will loosen restrictions provided that we continue to see, uh, the good direction that things are going in, we will do it in mind with being so close to the finish line. We don't want to leave people behind. Sarah lad from The Courier Journal. Yes, thank you. Are there any more details available on those new variant cases that Dr Stack mentioned? For instance, where are they? In the state? How many? And was there any travel involved with the patients? Let's go to Dr Stack. I think he at least has the counties. Hey, Governor. Yes. So the most to recent ones we got today were won in Jefferson County one in Fayette County. This harkens back in my memory to when we were doing press conferences in March of 2020 when we said, We know the diseases here, we just don't know where it is yet, and it will take more time and testing to find it. Now that that be 11 b 117 variants is here. It will spread naturally. What they saw happen in other areas because this is more transmissible than the original covid virus is. This is likely to become the predominant form the virus that's in circulation. I think by springtime mid spring, they were saying this would be the predominant form across much of the nation. So as far as travel history, I don't have that specifically what they do is take positive samples and then sequence them. And then they look back and they do further looking in for some of those. But when it becomes more common, the travel history won't be quite as important. It will be predominantly that we all have to take the measures necessary vaccination masking social distancing to keep it from spreading and propagating. But the two newest cases we found in the last 24 hours or so. I think we're one in Jefferson County and one in Fayette County. Governor Tom, late check from Kentucky today. Thank you. And good afternoon, Governor. Uh, Mike, Two questions as usual. Uh, one is Is there anything new on expansion of our vaccine allocation to the state and more sites? Are they in the future? And also, what is the status of contact tracing? Haven't heard anything about that for quite a while. Um, let's see. New vaccine centres. You snuck a third one in there. Uh, so, um, on expansion of vaccines, we get that news on Tuesday, I'll be on a call with the White House. I think it's around, uh, 10 or 11 on Tuesdays, and that's when they've announced it each time this week. One thing that's different is we don't get any. Johnson and Johnson, we already know that. So they shipped out all of it that they had pre manufactured last week, which is about 36,500 doses this week. There won't be any, Uh, So while we expect at least a little bit of an uptick on Moderna and Pfizer, it might not make up for for no Johnson and Johnson this week. Now, as we move into the future, I think it'll it'll. It'll trickle in next week. But certainly with Merck now manufacturing the Johnson and Johnson vaccine again, those numbers will start picking up really seriously and significantly. The Pfizer numbers, because I was on a call with their CEO last week are gonna pick up very significantly as well through March as we go. But we will have a better, um, uh, idea that after tomorrow's call and we'll give that information tomorrow night, vaccine centres will announce on Thursday. We are in advanced talks on opening, um, a Shawnee vaccination location. We now believe that we can do that with current supply as it increases, uh, scheduling out a start of that location contact tracing continues, but at the at the level of virus even that we're at now is more of a challenge. We do have a lot of partners that are helping us out in between schools and work and and the rest. But we're definitely now, um, certainly some of the folks that were doing contact tracing are now doing vaccinations and and rightfully So Steve Johnson from W E K U. Good afternoon, governor. And thank you. I think this may be a question for Dr Stack. Um, still on the variant issue coming, following up on what Sarah had asked about the variants. And I saw a report over the weekend where a health professional was saying nationally. He turned it as kind of being in the eye of the storm. And so I guess the question I have is with proper masking and social distancing along with vaccinations. Can we stay ahead of the variance in the months ahead? Let's go to Dr Stack. We can't. The answer is yes, we can stay ahead of the variance if people follow the measures and so one. As soon as you have a chance to get vaccinated, please get vaccinated. That's that's absolutely imperative, because the evidence continues to increase. That's why the CDC gave these new guidance Today. It continues to show the vaccine is incredibly effective at preventing you from getting deathly ill and sick, but also hopefully from preventing you from spreading infection to others, or maybe even from getting infected at all. And so if we get everyone vaccinated as quickly as we can. And if people wear their masks and socially distanced whenever they're out in public? Uh, yeah, I think we can stay ahead of this. And I think that this is not imperiling our ability to get to the end of the journey. It just means that people have got to recommit and and not give up before we cross the finish line. We just got to hang in there for a few more months, and I think that yes, we do have a chance to prevent this from becoming a major problem, but only if we continue to rally and see this through the end. That's no different than a runner crossing the finish line. You don't You can't give up before you've crossed the finish line. And we're so close. But we're not yet passed it, so just hang in a little bit longer, Governor. Next we have our cross from Kentucky Health News. At least I think we do. Okay, we'll come back. Um, next we have Piper Hart Smith, Blackburn from The Associated Press. I'm here now, Governor. Okay. Go ahead, Al. Sorry. Technical problems. I don't do this enough. I have a long winter short one, Uh, the Shortland is Who's your contact in the Biden administration that you referred to? And the long one is our lead story on the rural blog today says that there may be a problem in some states and rural areas because of resistance by Republicans to getting vaccinated. About one third of Republicans say that they will definitely not get vaccinated, and there's already a Republican pollster working on strategies for that. So is this a particular worry in this state? And if so, what are you doing about it? So, first, Julie Rodriguez is the contact for all governors in the Biden administration. I think she's in the same position that Jerry Abramson was was in under the Obama administration. I think we we do see, uh, hesitancy, uh, you know, in in in different areas. But but I have seen the polling that suggests, uh that there is some significant hesitancy among some Republicans. So we we tried to start early on addressing some of that, having the Senate president here in Kentucky, the speaker of the House vaccinated when we step forward to to do it. Uh, since then, we have had other leaders or we've offered, uh, to other leaders there. We like you want to look at the data and figure out the best ways to communicate? Uh, certainly in other areas, that's through community leaders inside that community, so we will have more asks, moving forward of those that are trusted by. I think it's just this portion, um, of of Republicans and and it's critical to get them vaccinated There, there, there aren't any Democrats or Republicans when it comes to to who the Corona virus will infect. And I want everybody, everybody to get vaccinated. Even if you stood outside the window here and and and screamed in the midst of one of these press conferences, I want you to get the vaccine. We all want to move beyond this, and and, um, I want to listen. If there are leaders, um, in or outside of the Republican Party that have ideas about better ways, uh, to convince it in the right word, I think it's it's educate. It's it's to provide the information. But I do think, um, and now you see a lot of data to, So I'm sure you have opinions on this I do think that hesitancy will wane a little bit. The more and more and more people get vaccinated, we look at a quarter of the population. Now, um, once we reach a half or two thirds today's, um, CDC announcement where you can you need to wear your mask in public everywhere, you need to wear your mask at work. But at home, in private gatherings with other people that have been vaccinated under the right conditions, you don't. That's a pretty good incentive to that. Hopefully reaches beyond politics. Uh, okay. Now, Piper Hudspeth, Blackburn from the Associated Press. Piper, you get to ask us the last question of the day. Alright, Piper, if you want to send us, the question will get you a response in writing. All right, everybody. Good job. Good job at fighting Covid. What we're seeing in the numbers means you are doing the right things to protect people around you. It means we're trying to carry everybody to the finish line to defeat this virus. Remember, May 31st is just around the corner. Uh, and that's when we believe every adult who wants to be vaccinated can be, uh, don't get confused about the CDC guidance from today in public, on the job. Wear the mask. If you have been fully vaccinated and others, everyone else has been fully vaccinated. It's small private gatherings now. You don't have to wear one and and don't have to engage in social distancing. It's a good incentive for all of us to get vaccinated. But again, in public and large groups and the rest please continue to wear this. We are so close. We don't want to lose people that we can, uh, bring to the end with us and and we're gonna defeat covid 19. We're gonna do it this year. We're gonna do it together. We'll see you tomorrow at four. Mm Mhm.