Fayette County reports one new case of COVID-19; no new deaths from the illness
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported one new case of COVID-19 Tuesday and no new deaths from the illness.
The total number of cases that have been confirmed in Lexington since the outbreak began is 222 with seven deaths. Lexington has not reported a new death from COVID-19 in about two weeks.
On Monday, Lexington officials said they were “cautiously optimistic” about Lexington’s apparent slow growth in cases. Health department spokesman Kevin Hall told the Herald-Leader previously that a few factors could play into the low numbers, including the amount of time it takes for people to become symptomatic after being exposed to the illness and the amount of testing conducted.
The amount of time it takes for test results to come back, anywhere from one day to a week, could also be a factor, Hall said.
Of the people who have tested positive for the illness, 78 percent have since been released from isolation, according to the health department.
Statewide, more than 3,000 cases of COVID-19 had been reported as of Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced. There have been 154 deaths in Kentucky attributed to the illness, he said.
In a Facebook Live update on Tuesday, Mayor Linda Gorton encouraged people in Lexington to get outside and walk as a way to cope and stay physically healthy with the ongoing closures and social distancing orders since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
“We all know we’re in uncharted waters and very uncertain times without a timeline for the end of this,” Gorton said. “I know that that can create a lot of stress for all of us because we don’t know what to expect or when to expect this COVID-19 to be finished.”
When the outbreak started, the city of Lexington acted quickly to close senior centers, nursing homes and the jail to visitors. Gorton said in her update that she believes those actions and the willingness of residents to stay home has helped the city “flatten the curve.”
The city has started working on plans to “reopen the economy,” taking into account recommendations from the White House and Beshear’s office, Gorton said. Any moves to reopen will be gradual and intentional in an effort to prevent another spike in cases of COVID-19, she said.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 3:33 PM.
