Fayette suffers another high-number COVID day

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – With 184 cases Wednesday, Fayette County continues to set records for new coronavirus numbers.

“Last week I thought that it couldn’t get any worse, any higher than what we were seeing but unfortunately it is not good news this week,” said Kevin Hall, Communications Officer with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Wednesday’s cases pushed the county’s total to 14,551, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s morning report Thursday. The 184 cases tied with Nov. 10 for the ninth-highest day as the county continues to post a string of near-record daily numbers.

The county reported one new death, raising the county’s total at 106.

When asked about the Governor’s executive order regarding new restrictions, Hall said, “This isn’t a surprise and it shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone who’s paid attention to these numbers.”

Hall added, “We have asked people for weeks, months – follow the guidelines, help us slow this down. And it’s just simply, people aren’t doing that. They’re not following the guidelines all of the time.”

Hall also expects the numbers to continue to rise during the holiday season if people aren’t following all of the guidelines all of the time, “It’s not just affecting the people who come to the gatherings. What you’re seeing nationally, in Kentucky, and in Lexington, is people come to an event and then they’re spreading it to other circles.”

When it comes to testing, Hall says, “Unfortunately right now it’s not a matter of encouraging people to get tested, so many people are having to get tested because they’re in close contact with people who have tested positive.”

Hall said the additional testing has also led to longer wait times, “You look back two months ago, people could drive up, get tested, in and out 15 minutes. And now, there’s more of a wait, more registrations are filling up.”

“If people keep following the guidelines, we will get there. It is keeping people safe until a vaccine is widely available,” said Hall.

Almost 31% of the city’s total COVID-19 cases — 4,360 — came in the month Oct. 16-Nov. 16 and the last two days have only added to the percentage.

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, follow the health and safety guidelines to stay safe this Thanksgiving:https://www.lfchd.org/covid-19-safety-tips-for-thanksgiving/. People can slow the spread by continuing to:
• Wear a cloth face-covering in public
• Avoid close contact with others
• Wash your hands often
• Stay home if you are sick.

The county has had only one day under 100 — Nov. 1 at 97 — this month and that was a Sunday.

Lexington’s COVID-19 numbers, including charts with demographics, hospitalizations and more, are updated Monday-Saturday at lfchd.org.

• 110, March
• 143, April
• 507, May
• 793, June
• 1,702 July
• 2,538, August
• 2,804, September
• 2,736, October

The county reached the following thousand-case marks on these dates:

• 14,000: Nov. 16
• 13,000: Nov. 11
• 12,000: Nov. 5
• 11,000: Oct. 29
• 10,000: Oct. 20
• 9,000: Oct. 6
• 8,000: Sept. 22
• 7,000: Sept. 11
• 6,000: Sept. 2
• 5,000: Aug. 23
• 4,000: Aug. 10
• 3,000: July 28
• 2,000: July 12
• 1,000: June 10
• 1: March 8