UK looks into student Derby Day parties after 30 police calls. Did COVID-19 spread?
The University of Kentucky is looking into student gatherings after Lexington police responded to dozens of party complaints on Kentucky Derby Day.
Police officers responded to 30 noise disturbance calls related to loud parties Saturday, according to Lexington police spokeswoman Brenna Angel. There were calls on Maxwell Street, Linden Walk, Stone Avenue, Forest Park, Woodland Avenue and Montmullin Street, Angel said. There were also calls farther away from campus, she said.
If revelers didn’t wear masks or didn’t follow social distancing guidelines, such gatherings may increase the spread of COVID-19 among a student population that’s already had 1,000 cases since Aug. 3, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Police action on the parties would’ve varied on a case-by-case basis, Angel said. Citations can be issued for underage drinking, violating the noise ordinance, or disorderly conduct, but that’s it.
An executive order signed by Gov. Andy Beshear on July 20 mandated that non-commercial gatherings must be limited to 10 people or fewer, but police and local health department officials have said they can only do so much.
“There is nothing we can enforce regarding gatherings on private property,” Angel said.
The number of party calls was up 25 percent compared to the previous week. There were 24 party calls on Aug. 29 and 11 party calls on Aug. 22, Angel said.
UK received no citations from Lexington police over the weekend, according to UK spokesman Jay Blanton. But the university’s Student Conduct Office was “following up” on reports concerning on- and off-campus gatherings, Blanton said.
Students can face discipline for violating the Code of Student Conduct if they create “a condition where they have put others at risk or harmed someone else, such as hosting a large gathering or not following state, local or university guidance,” according to the university’s website.
Before Labor Day, UK President Eli Capilouto asked students to stay in Lexington over the weekend because some patients have caught the respiratory virus from trips to hot spots.
“We are asking you to avoid unnecessary travel this weekend throughout the entire semester,” Capilouto said.
Capilouto also commended students on Sept. 3 for their efforts so far to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“So far, we’ve seen you rise to the occasion and make decisions in the best interests of the community around you,” Capilouto said in a video posted to Twitter. “You’re doing your part.”
UK’s Student Government Association held a derby party for students on campus, and masks and physical distancing were required.
Social media posts indicated that wasn’t the case at other parties.
It wouldn’t be possible to identify COVID-19 outbreaks or clusters stemming from the parties for at least another week or two, according to Kevin Hall, spokesman for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Regardless of who is hosting them or where they’re being held, any gathering should follow recommendations to wear masks, social distance, and wash hands often.
UK has identified multiple infections stemming from single locations, Blanton said, but the university didn’t yet plan to identify where any “clusters” arose.
“We believe our dashboard provides the most substantive and up-to-date information regarding the health of the campus and our capacity to serve the community, with the focus on active and recovered cases as well as isolation and capacity,” Blanton said.
There were 477 active cases among UK students as of Sept. 4, according to university data, which lags Lexington health department data.
There were 98 students in isolation, according to university data. UK’s on-campus isolation was at about 43 percent of capacity as of Sept. 4.
Lexington’s health department has reported 6,499 total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic first reached Kentucky in March. About 17 percent of those have been UK students. The city reported 49 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday morning, 35 of which were UK students.
Lexington has reported 3,052 COVID-19 cases since Aug. 3, the date UK started testing all students returning to campus. Almost one-third of those cases have been UK students, according to health department data.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 4:34 PM.