Fayette County reports 204 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, one new death
Fayette County reported 204 new coronavirus cases over the weekend as the state broke a record for the most new infections in a week since the outbreak hit Kentucky in March.
The new total reported Monday includes 124 cases from Saturday and 80 from Sunday, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. There was also one death from COVID-19 reported in the city over the weekend.
The Lexington numbers reported Monday to Saturday are from the previous day’s cases. The health department does not release new numbers on Sundays.
There were 85 new Lexington infections Friday that were reported Saturday.
There were nine new hospitalizations as a result of COVID-19 reported over the weekend.
Statewide, Kentucky had a record number of new COVID-19 infections — 9,355 — from Monday to Sunday. That’s 20 percent more than the second-highest total of 7,675 during the week of Oct. 5-11.
To date, Fayette County has reported 92 deaths from the virus.
Beshear’s office said on Sunday that an 87-year-old woman from Fayette County had died from the illness.
Last week, from Oct. 18 to Oct. 25, University of Kentucky students accounted for 54 of the city’s new COVID-19 cases, according to health department data. There has been a steady decrease in weekly new cases reported in UK students. About seven weeks ago, the city reported an increase of more than 367 COVID-19 cases in UK students.
The total number of new cases in Lexington last week was 661, according to health department data. The increase the week before was 549. Since mid-August, weekly case increases have ranged from about 500 to 750.
Since the outbreak began, Lexington has had 10,595 reported cases of COVID-19. As of Monday morning, 9,184 people had recovered from the illness, according to health department data.
Deaths in nursing homes and assisted living facilities continue to make up more than half of the COVID-19 deaths in Fayette County. As of Monday, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Fayette County facilities were reported by the state as follows:
- Pine Meadows Post Acute: 26 resident deaths.
- Homestead Post Acute: 10 resident deaths.
- Northpoint Lexington Health Care Center: 5 resident deaths.
- The Willows at Fritz Farm: 3 resident deaths.
- Sayre Christian Village Nursing Home: 2 resident deaths.
- Cambridge Place: 1 resident death.
- Liberty Ridge Senior Living: 1 resident death.
- Morning Pointe of Lexington: 1 resident death.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton announced Monday that COVID-19 testing would be available at the Tates Creek Golf Course on Gainesway Drive later this week.
Testing will be available at the golf course from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Testing will also be available Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to Gorton’s office. The testing will return to the same location the following week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the same times.
The testing at the course is part of the city’s mobile neighborhood testing program, which has administered about 13,000 tests since it launched in June. The program allows people to get a test at no cost and offers walk-up and drive-up options. Tests are available without an appointment.
“We continue to see a testing increase in our community,” Gorton said. “We know in Kentucky and around the nation, there is a surge in the spread of COVID-19. Testing is a key component for helping public health professionals contact trace and reduce the spread of the virus.”
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 9:42 AM.
