Lexington ties weekly record for COVID-19 deaths day after setting single-day record
Lexington has tied a weekly record for COVID-19 deaths, reaching six deaths as of Wednesday.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department recorded 45 new cases and one death Wednesday, bring the total deaths to 39 with 2,179 confirmed cases.
The increase comes one day after the city reported five COVID deaths on Tuesday, the city’s single-day high.
There were also 58 new cases confirmed on Tuesday.
The latest death and four others this week were nursing home residents, said Kevin Hall, health department spokesman. Four lived at Pine Meadows and one lived at Homestead Post Acute. There have been six coronavirus-related deaths at Homestead Post Acute and 12 at Pine Meadows, according to the health department.
Two of the most recent deaths were in their 90s, one was in their 70s, and two were in their 60s, according to the health department.
Many of the city’s cases are now in the 18-34 age group, which has crept up to 31 percent of all cases. But trailing closely are those 35-54 who make up 29 percent of cases.
Ten percent of the cases have been reported in those under 18.
While cases have surged in Lexington, the number of hospitalizations is still within the city’s capacity. As of Wednesday, there have been 235 coronavirus patients hospitalized, up four from Tuesday, according to health department data.
Fayette County has 2,185 licensed hospital beds and 367 ICU beds, according to state data.
Hall said Tuesday that the city doesn’t see hospital capacities as an immediate issue, but it wouldn’t take much for that to change.
“All it takes is one massive outbreak and hospitals will be at capacity and you will see why we have been stressing this message of the public health guidelines for so long,” he said.
The health department said case investigations continue to show residents going out to public businesses while infected. The department also said people are contagious before symptoms begin to show.
“This is why wearing a mask is important,” the health department said in a statement. “Remember to stay home if you are sick to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others.”
Lexington Emergency Management is providing more free testing at Shiloh Baptist Church in the East End later this week, which won’t require an appointment.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 11:13 AM.