Lexington reports 116 new COVID-19 cases. City on pace to break monthly case record
Lexington is on pace to surpass 6,000 new COVID-19 cases in one month for just the second time since the pandemic started. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 116 new cases Tuesday morning.
Lexington has had 3,761 new cases in January. The city’s one-month record was set in November at 6,070. The Lexington health department has reported 27,155 total infections since March, resulting in 1,480 hospitalizations and 174 deaths.
Lexington’s COVID-19 cases trended lower last week, as there were 1,414 new infections from Jan. 11-17. That’s the fewest since the week of Christmas, when there were just 770 new cases. Lexington also reported its second consecutive week of a decrease in new hospitalizations. The rolling seven-day average of new cases dipped below 200 on Tuesday morning.
Fayette County’s incidence rate fell into the low 60s last week after eclipsing 75 earlier in January, according to the state Department for Public Health. The incidence rate is used to calculate the severity of COVID-19 spread in each Kentucky county. Fayette County’s spread has remained above the threshold for “critical” spread since late October.
Lexington was on pace for a slight decrease in newly-reported hospitalizations this month. The city’s hospitalizations spiked in December, with 349 residents being hospitalized due to COVID-19. There have been 195 hospitalizations through the first 18 days of January.