Lexington has reached a COVID-19 ‘plateau,’ but city warns there’s still work to do
October may be the first month in which Lexington sees a decrease in new COVID-19 cases.
New cases have increased every month since COVID-19 first reached Lexington in March, with a record 2,804 cases reported in September. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has reported 71.6 new cases per day in October, a 23.4 percent decrease compared to the average new cases per day in September.
“It’s still higher than we want it to be in Fayette County,” health department spokesman Kevin Hall said. “We seem to have reached a plateau at the moment, but it’s higher than previous plateaus, so we need the people of Central Kentucky to continue following the public health guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Those guidelines include washing hands frequently, wearing a face covering and social distancing when in public or around people from other households, Hall said.
The city reported 505 new cases from Oct. 5-11, which was 13 more than the previous week but still the second-fewest the city has reported in a week since late July. Cases had been steadily decreasing for three consecutive weeks before the slight increase. Lexington reported 106 new cases from Saturday and Sunday, as well as one new death.
There were 18 new hospitalizations last week, the fewest in a week since mid-August. There were three new deaths, the same number of deaths as the previous week. Lexington has reported 9,385 cases, 570 hospitalizations and 82 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic first reached Kentucky.
UK student cases drop for 4th straight week
Case increases in August and September were largely driven by University of Kentucky students once in-person classes resumed on Aug. 17. UK students accounted for about 49 percent of all new cases in Lexington from the first day of class through Sept. 30, according to health department data.
But that number is dropping. UK students have accounted for about 21 percent of all Lexington cases in October. The rolling seven-day average of active cases on campus has fallen to 211 after previously eclipsing 500, according to UK.
The number of students being housed in on-campus isolation has fallen to about 6 percent of the university’s total capacity, according to UK. Isolation was over 60 percent full at one point. The total number of on-campus isolation beds is 171, according to UK. There are also students isolating off-campus.
UK reached the midpoint of its semester last week. On Friday, President Eli Capilouto sent a letter to the campus community in which he said UK needed to keep working to combat “this virus that attacks indiscriminately.” He also said he felt good about UK’s decision to return to campus this semester.
“We believe our decision to return to campus was right for our students, who will benefit from the education we provide,” he wrote in the letter. He also wrote that as Fayette County’s largest employer, UK being open has been good for the local economy.
Part of the fight against spreading the virus is UK’s new and ongoing partnership with the Lexington Police Department to crack down on weekend parties. UK received 10 student conduct complaints involving group gatherings over the weekend, which was down from 15 the weekend before, according to UK spokesman Jay Blanton.
“We definitely believe our efforts working in partnership with the city are effective,” Blanton said.
Student flu shots become an emphasis
UK announced on Thursday that it would require students get the flu vaccine to avoid an outbreak in the middle of a pandemic. Requiring flu shots was meant “to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our campus community,” Capilouto said in a statement.
The flu shots are required for students who live on campus or attend on-campus classes. Students can get a flu shot from a UK-associated provider or provide documentation of vaccination from other providers.
The city of Lexington also has emphasized flu shots this fall amid the pandemic. The city is offering free flu shots by appointment at the public health clinic on Newtown Pike.
“The flu shot is especially important this season as we remain in the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hall said in a statement. “It can help reduce the overall impact on respiratory illnesses on the population, which will lessen the burden on our healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Flu shot appointments can be made by calling 859-288-2444.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 1:31 PM.