Lexington jail outbreak grows as KY reports 790 new cases of COVID-19, 6 more deaths
Kentucky reported 790 new cases of coronavirus and six more COVID-19 related deaths Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.
And the Fayette County Detention Center announced Saturday night that 15 more inmates and one more staff member had tested positive for the virus, and a fourth housing unit had been affected. On Tuesday, the jail said three more staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total staff members to 10.
The new cases reported Saturday among inmates at the jail brought the total to 94 , according to a news release.
The jail said Tuesday that it was awaiting test results for 101 inmates and 33 employees.
Saturday was the second time in two days that the jail said a new housing unit had been hit by the illness. The jail said Friday that an inmate in a third housing unit had tested positive. All the inmates of both units have been tested for coronavirus and placed in quarantine, according to the jail. The inmates who tested positive have been isolated.
The jail said it is following guidance from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for testing inmates and staff.
The health department reported 110 new cases in Fayette County on Saturday, bringing the total to 6,256. There had been one more COVID-19-related death, bringing Lexington’s total to 60 people, according to health department data.
The new coronavirus cases Beshear announced Saturday bring Kentucky’s total to at least 52,464. Deaths total 993.
The deaths reported for Kentucky Saturday include a Madison County man, 67; a Scott County man, 80; a Bell County man, 77; a Marion County woman, 68; a Nelson County man, 72; and a Todd County man, 59.
“Now that the weekend is here, it is critical that Kentuckians take the steps necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Beshear said in the release. “While our positivity rate is lower at 4.22%, we still have nearly 800 new cases. We need everyone to keep gatherings to less than 10 people, wash your hands frequently, social distance and wear a mask.”
Of the new cases reported Saturday, 98 were among children 18 and younger, and 12 of those were children 5 years old and under.
This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 5:46 PM.
