“Numbers are trending in wrong direction”: Health department warns public after COVID case increase
The health department reported a massive uptick in the number of new cases -- 373 reported Tuesday.
LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ)- COVID-19 is not over: That was the warning Wednesday from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
This comes after an increase in new coronavirus cases in Fayette County, which is now back in the red high risk zone.
The health department reported a massive uptick in the number of new cases — 373 reported Tuesday.
And while that number does include a backlog, the department says new cases are on the rise..
“People are acting like this pandemic is completely over,” said the health department’s communications officer, Kevin Hall.
Hall says COVID-19 case numbers are trending in the wrong direction.
“We were about a hundred new cases a day three weeks ago. We are over a hundred and ninety new cases a day right now, looking at our seven day rolling average,” said Hall.
Hall says there are a few reasons behind the trend.
“While its likely that some is because of the new variants that have started circulating in the United States that are much more easily transmissible, what we’re also seeing is that people are putting their guards down. Too many people think that they’ve been vaccinated, that this is over and they don’t have to take precautions,” said Hall.
Hall says it’s important to remember that the reported numbers are just ‘lab-confirmed’ cases.
“So many people are using those at-home tests or perhaps not even being tested at all because they’re symptomatic and they’re staying home. So those numbers aren’t included in what we’re reporting out so the number of COVID cases are actually going to be much higher than what you’re hearing,” said Hall.
The health department is also encouraging people to remember precautions to keep the virus from spreading.
“Right now is not the time to stop doing what we’ve been doing, wear a mask when you’re going out into crowded public areas, wash your hands frequently. And its really important to stay home when you’re sick. We’re seeing reports on social media and we’re hearing it from medical providers- people going out in to the community while they’re sick, while they’re symptomatic. And you don’t need to be doing that because it may be mild for you. But you run the risk of making somebody else with a weaker immune system extremely sick,” said Hall.
The department is still giving out free COVID-19 vaccinations via same day appointments on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. You can call the clinic at 859-288-2483
