Lexington records highest single-day total of new COVID-19 cases in five months

Beth Musgrave
·2 min read
A health care worker preparers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Kentucky HealthCare Vaccination Program at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.

The surge in new coronavirus cases in Fayette County continues.

On Wednesday, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 79 new cases, the highest single-day total of new cases since Feb. 26.

The seven-day rolling average is now 44 new COVID-19 cases per day.

To date, there have been 36,119 cases and 325 deaths in Fayette County since the outbreak began in March 2020.

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control data, approximately 67 percent of Fayette County residents over 18 are fully vaccinated.

The health department reported earlier this month that the number of fully vaccinated people who are testing positive for COVID-19, commonly referred to as breakthrough cases, continues to climb.

Health department officials urged residents to remain vigilant.

Earlier this week, Gov. Andy Beshear recommended that fully-vaccinated Kentuckians who work in jobs with “significant public exposure” should consider wearing a mask again in indoor public spaces, citing rising case numbers and escalating spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

For the first time since he lifted the statewide mask mandate and repealed capacity restrictions in early June, Beshear said on Thursday that he will not shy away from reinstituting those rules if the spread of the virus continues to gain momentum. More than 95 percent of the more than 61,000 new coronavirus cases statewide from March 1 to July 21 were among unvaccinated people.

For those in Fayette County who need a COVID-19 vaccine, doses are given free by same-day appointment every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the public health clinic at 650 Newtown Pike. Call 859-288-2483 to schedule your appointment. The special vaccination clinics offer the Moderna and Janssen vaccines for ages 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12 and older. Visit https://www.lexingtonky.gov/vaccines to learn about other clinics in Lexington.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations can help slow the outbreak by:

• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, especially those with COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, muscle/body aches, loss of taste/smell, nausea, etc.);

• Covering coughs and sneezes;

• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth;

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;

• Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas.