2,500 people tested at BCTC drive-through coronavirus site. Testing extended one week
More than 2,500 people have received free COVID-19 tests at a drive-through location at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington in a little more than a week, city officials said Wednesday.
Approximately 5 percent of those tested have tested positive, said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton during a Wednesday Lexington council meeting on the city’s COVID-19 response efforts.
“That 5 percent is not unexpected,” Gorton said.
The BCTC drive-through site opened April 27. It was originally slated to cease operations on Friday.
Gov. Andy Beshear has agreed to extend the testing at the BCTC campus for another week, Gorton announced Wednesday. The site is operated by Kroger. Anyone who wants a test can get one but they must register first. Testing is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. People can register at the KrogerHealth website or by calling 1-888-852-2567. The site will remain open until May 18.
Walgreens, which is operating a testing site at 2996 Executive Drive in the Hamburg area, has also agreed to extend its drive-through testing an additional week, Gorton said. That site is for healthcare workers, first responders and those with symptoms over the age of 18. People do not need to preregister. The Walgreens was formerly a Rite Aid. Visit walgreens.com/coronavirus for additional information. The Walgreens site will remain open until May 22.
The BCTC site was picked to encourage more testing in Fayette County’s black population. According to Lexington-Fayette County Health Department data, Fayette County’s black population has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. As of Wednesday, about 33 percent of Fayette County’s COVID-19 patients are black. Yet, Fayette County’s black population is only 15 percent of the total population.
Approximately 25 percent of the people who sought testing at the BCTC site were black, Gorton said.
The number of Fayette County COVID-19 cases is now 320, an increase of seven new cases from Tuesday. Approximately 65 percent of those patients have now recovered.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman James Brown said during Wednesday’s council meeting he has also received requests for walk-up testing for people who don’t have cars.
Gorton said that’s been discussed, but walk-up testing poses health risks for health providers who administer the tests.
Gorton said she has talked to Beshear and the Fayette County Health Department about a mobile testing van. Beshear has been receptive to the idea, she said.
“It’s not exactly a walk-up testing site, but it’s close,” Gorton said.
Plans for the mobile testing van are still being discussed, she said.
Gorton said the city and health department have received little cooperation from Lexington Federal Medical Center, a federal prison on Leestown Road, which recently had a coronavirus outbreak. The number of positive COVID-19 cases at the federal prison is now 55, an increase of one from Tuesday.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is using social media to encourage staff who work at the federal prison to seek testing now, Gorton said.
“The Federal Medical Center has been a real struggle,” Gorton said.
Also Wednesday, the council learned the city has spent more than $200,000 to date on COVID-19-related expenses including purchasing personal protective equipment, such as masks, hand sanitizer and gloves.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 2:49 PM.
