 Would you rather pay $650 or $66 for a smartphone? Simple. With the Appalachian Advantage plan, pay less upfront and then just a few dollars more every month. Better service, bigger savings. That's today's Appalachian Wireless. One in five unvaccinated Kentuckians say they are open to getting the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a new poll from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the state's hospitals are filled with COVID patients and, according to Governor Andy Beshear, about 90 beds are left in intensive care units. 66 Kentucky hospitals report critical staffing shortages, and at least two dozen will soon receive backup help from the National Guard. Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky CEO Ben Chandler sees the poll results as encouraging, showing there are still people open to learning more about the vaccine so they can be better protected against serious illness and death. That's really good news, I think. We've got a chunk of people there who have yet to be vaccinated but who plan to get vaccinated. State data show the week of September 12th, the state's seven-day average COVID-19 positivity rate was 13.88 percent, the highest recorded since Kentucky had adequate testing supplies. In the poll, one in three Kentuckians reported always wearing a mask in outdoor crowded public space. More than one-quarter of those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine say they never wear a mask, while almost four in ten who are not vaccinated say they never wear a mask. But the vast majority, 70 percent of Kentuckians think that the kids ought to wear masks in schools if they're not vaccinated. While some are keeping an open mind, more than one-third of the unvaccinated people surveyed said nothing will motivate them to get the shot. Around 14 percent of unvaccinated respondents say they want more time and research to be conducted before they'd roll up a sleeve. So Chandler says it's important communities focus outreach efforts on those individuals. And I think we need to reach out to those people and make sure that they know that these shots are available and let them know how they can get the shot. He adds the foundation for a healthy Kentucky is offering $20,000 mini-grants to help local groups create new or expand. This is Nadia Rom-Lagan for Kentucky News Connection. Find our eight trust indicators to support transparency and accuracy at publicnewservice.org.