LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The City of Lexington had 5,435 COVID-19 cases in August, which is four times more than July and nineteen times more than June, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Health officials say August ranked fourth in terms of most new cases reported in one month, trailing only January (6,155), November (6,070), and December (5,991).
On the final Thursday of August, Kentucky recorded the second-highest day of new COVID-19 cases with 5,401. The highest day was January 6 with 5,742 cases. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 171 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, August 12, which was the most cases reported in a day since 196 cases on February 15, 2021.
On Tuesday, there were 302 new COVID-19 cases reported, and the 7-day rolling average of new cases is up to 232 cases a day. That number was 7/day on July 1 and 87/day at the start of August. The city has had 42,326 cases and 333 deaths since the outbreak began in March 2020.
The health department says being fully vaccinated makes you less likely to catch COVID-19, and if you do end up catching it, the vaccine makes it far less likely to have severe symptoms that require hospitalization.
As COVID-19 overwhelms hospital systems, Kentucky hospitals are reaching full capacity, and the state continues to set records for people hospitalized, in ICUs, and on ventilators.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department provides free COVID-19 vaccines at their Public Health Clinic, located at 650 Newtown Pike. Call 859-288-2483 to schedule your appointment. The Public Health Clinic offers the Moderna and Janssen vaccines for ages 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12 and older. Find more vaccine information at www.vaccines.gov/search.
The health department provides tips on how both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations can help slow the outbreak:
- Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, especially those with COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, muscle/body aches, loss of taste/smell, nausea, etc.);
- Covering coughs and sneezes;
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
- Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
The Health Department updates Lexington’s COVID-19 numbers Monday-Friday at lfchd.org.
