Lexington reports 138 new COVID-19 cases. Kentucky city had 595 cases in 7 days.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 138 new COVID-19 cases from Saturday and Sunday, bringing the city’s total to 3,995.
The numbers for Saturday and Sunday were released Monday morning. Monday’s numbers were not fueled by the outbreak at the Fayette County Detention Center as most of those new cases were included in Friday’s figures released Saturday. Only one inmate and one staff member were counted in the numbers Saturday and Sunday.
Lexington reported 595 new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days. The seven-day total was partially driven by the jail infections. The jail identified its first case on Aug. 3, and as of Monday morning, it had confirmed 59 cases among inmates, according to the health department.
Four staff members have also tested positive, according to Capt. Matt LeMonds from Lexington-Fayette County Community Corrections. As of Monday afternoon, 139 inmates had been tested, LeMonds said. There were 39 inmates who had tested negative, and 50 tests were pending. There had been 33 total staff members tested with 14 negatives and 15 tests pending.
LeMonds said in a statement that all the inmates who had tested positive had been living in the same unit where the first positive case was detected. The jail was working with the health department for guidance and direction on containing the spread, LeMonds said.
The University of Kentucky had 130 students counted in Fayette County’s cases as of Monday morning, according to the health department. UK is running a back-to-school testing program, which is intended to screen every student who returns to campus. Students can submit test results from their private doctors or clinics or take tests on campus by Aug. 22.
Not all UK students who test positive are counted in Lexington’s numbers, according to Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, health commissioner for Lexington-Fayette County. Only students who test positive and then quarantine in Lexington will be counted, he said Thursday.
The health department reminded residents Monday to slow the spread of the virus by wearing masks, washing hands and “avoiding close contact with anyone not in your household.”
There were no new deaths reported in Lexington over the weekend. There have been two deaths in the last two weeks.
There were nine new hospitalizations, making 28 for the last week, which is a slight decrease. There were 30 in the week before that.
Lexington’s case increases have been more rapid since mid-July. It took 95 days for Lexington to reach 1,000 reported cases. The city hit 2,000 cases just 31 days later on July 13. The 3,000 case mark was hit 16 days after that on July 28. Lexington will likely hit the 4,000 mark in 13 days on Tuesday.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 9:49 AM.