LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The month of July began with Lexington's highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases, aside from a previous outbreak at the Federal Medical Center.
46 positive cases were reported on July 1, bringing the city's total to 1,599. About a fourth of the cases were from long-term care facilities.
There have also been 29 deaths related to COVID-19 since the city's first case on March 8.
Health officials say the city's highest one-day totals (not including the FMC) to date have been:
- 46 cases, July 1
- 41 cases, June 26
- 40 cases, June 24
- 39 cases, June 30
- 39 cases, June 14
In a Facebook Live interview with LEX 18's Claire Crouch, Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, Commissioner of Health at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD), says the city's cases have been steadily rising.
"We expect this with some openings of businesses and openings of society," said Dr. Humbaugh. "We feel like it's still a controlled increase, but it has increased."
Dr. Humbaugh says Lexington's positive COVID-19 cases are rising when compared to the state as a whole. He says people should be tested if they came in close contact with someone who has been infected and believes that the rise in cases is not fully linked to increased testing.
"Wide testing has been available in Lexington for the last 4-6 weeks, so the continued rise of cases is hard to explain by the fact that there's more testing alone," he said.
The LFCHD says some cases are from people returning from vacations to national COVID-19 "hot spots" like Florida and South Carolina.
The CDC says you should do the following to slow the spread of COVID-19:
· Wash your hands often
· Avoid close contact with others
· Wear a cloth face covering in public
· Cover coughs and sneezes
· Pick up food at drive-throughs, curbside restaurant service, or stores.
Click here to learn more.
