Fayette seven-day COVID average drops, number of deaths tops 500

County also has seen record hospitalizations

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Fayette County’s seven-day moving COVID average dropped for the fourth straight day but record hospitalizations and four more deaths are a reminder of COVID’s impact on the community.

The four deaths pushed the number of Fayette residents lost to COVID-related causes over the grim 500 mark.

“The community’s loss of over 500 of our family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and loved ones is heartbreaking,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “Our community COVID-19 memorial at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center has so many more candles than we ever would have imagined. We mourn the loss of these individuals, and remain steadfast in following public health guidelines by focusing on vaccines and boosters, wearing protective face coverings, and maintaining social distance in public.”

There have been 78,861 reported cases of COVID-19 in Lexington since March 2020. The current omicron variant of the virus is more easily transmitted. The CDC recommends everyone wear N95/KN95 rated masks, as well as following quarantine guidelines if exposed to the virus.

Since July 1, 2021, the health department has reported 170 COVID-19 deaths in Lexington, with 71% of those deaths being among unvaccinated individuals. This includes 42 people younger than age 60, with 95% of them unvaccinated.

Locations providing vaccinations and testing can be found by visiting www.lexingtonky.gov.

According to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s morning report Friday, the county confirmed 1,033 new cases Thursday, up from 965 Wednesday. The seven-day moving average fell to 875 from 904. The average was 908 Tuesday.

The department continues to advise the daily numbers will be higher as it works through a backlog of cases during this overwhelming surge of cases.

The numbers pushed the county’s total to 78,861 cases since the pandemic began. The four deaths – one from December and three from January — raised the number of residents lost to 502.

In addition to vaccines, the department reminds residents that wearing masks can help slow the spread of the virus.