Lexington hits grim milestone in COVID-related deaths

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced four new deaths of Fayette County residents due to COVID-19 on Friday, pushing the county’s total of COVID-related deaths past the 500-milestone to 502.

“The community’s loss of over 500 of our family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and loved ones is heartbreaking,” Mayor Linda Gorton said in a press release. “Our community COVID-19 memorial at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center has so many more candles than we ever would have imagined. We mourn the loss of these individuals, and remain steadfast in following public health guidelines by focusing on vaccines and boosters, wearing protective face coverings, and maintaining social distance in public.”

On Tuesday the health department reported 1,040 new coronavirus cases in Fayette County, marking the first time over 1,000 cases were reported in a day. That’s the latest update posted by the health department.

78,861 total cases have been reported in Lexington since the pandemic began, according to the city.

170 COVID-19 deaths in Lexington have been reported since July 1, 2021, per the health department. 71% of those deaths are among unvaccinated individuals.