Fayette school board chairman tests positive for COVID. He’s isolated but ‘feeling fine.’

Fayette school board chairman Tyler Murphy tested positive for the coronavirus last weekend and has been in mandatory isolation since, Murphy said in a social media post Sunday night.

Murphy, who is also a public school teacher in Boyle County, said he is fully vaccinated. He said as the Delta variant spreads among the vaccinated, he has been routinely testing for the coronavirus to protect others, including family members who were immunocompromised or ineligible for the vaccine.

“As part of this routine testing, I tested positive for the coronavirus last weekend. I have been feeling fine and currently have no symptoms,“ Murphy said in the post. “For the past week, I have also been teaching my regular schedule of classes virtually and continuing my board responsibilities while in mandatory isolation.”

Some Fayette school board meetings have recently been held in person -- and at least one with no virtual option -- but a Thursday meeting was held virtually, as will be Monday’s monthly school board meeting.

“I’m grateful to be fully vaccinated, as I’m confident this has helped me feel so well and allowed me to keep up with my own work, board business, and other matters even while having to do all this remotely,” Murphy said. “...Frankly, I doubt I would have otherwise known I was carrying the virus but for the positive test. “

Murphy said he was grateful to students and staff at Boyle County Schools for their quick and effective response and their support while he was teaching virtually; his school board colleagues and district staff for their flexibility; the staff at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department who have been in contact with him during isolation; and people who have reached out to him.

Murphy said was eager to get back in the classroom but will continue to follow protocols, monitor and report any symptoms daily, and remain in isolation until he is released by the health department. He said he is also keeping my own physician informed and will continue to follow his guidance.

“I know all of us are ready to be done with this pandemic,” Murphy said. “ Trust me, after spending just a week in isolation, I am too. “

“But we aren’t there yet. ... I urge you to please get vaccinated and wear a mask. I’m proof positive that 1) vaccines are effective at preventing serious illness and 2) you can carry the virus without even knowing it,” he said.

As of Friday morning, there were 208 Fayette County Public Schools-related COVID-19 cases currently active, said Lexington-Fayette Public Health Department spokesman Kevin Hall.

Of those, 181 were students and 27 were staff members in the school district. One school alone had more than 300 students in quarantine at home, district officials said.

District officials took down a COVID-19 dashboard from the Fayette County schools website last week because staff were overwhelmed with an exponential increase in positive cases and quarantined students.

The dashboard is expected to appear again Monday, with new superintendent Demetrus Liggins promising transparency.