LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington has surpassed 200 total COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said.
“While the number of deaths could’ve been much higher, 200 is still too high for Lexington,” said Kevin Hall from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Nine new deaths were reported Wednesday, with most coming from previous months after being reviewed by the Department for Public Health and determined to be related to COVID-19.
The newly reported deaths include three from December, five from January and one from February.
Hall acknowledged that many of those who’ve died are in the high-risk categories, such as old age. But ultimately COVID-19 was the cause of death, and one’s age doesn’t make it acceptable.
“I wouldn’t want anyone saying that of an older family member of mine. Remember, these are people who mean something to someone,” Hall stressed.
Lisa Lockhart’s father certainly meant something to her. He’s represented by one of the nearly 4,000 flags that have been planted outside the capitol building in Frankfort to honor the memory of those Kentuckians we’ve lost to the virus.
“The display at our state Capitol, and what took place in our nation's Capitol right before the inauguration with the lighting ceremony had a whole new meaning for me,” Lockhart, a nurse at a hospital in Boyle County, said during a break from work.
“We were so careful with my dad, and he was careful,” she added when asked how he might have contracted the virus that took his life in early January.
In reality, the “how” is of little consequence once you’ve lost a loved one.
“This is not over with,” Hall said. “You still need to wear a mask, still need to be socially distant.”
Thousands are being vaccinated in central Kentucky each week, but Lexington alone has more than 300,000 people to vaccinate.
Vigilance remains critical and Hall said Super Bowl parties this Sunday could end up having the same impact on the positivity rate as Thanksgiving and Christmas Day gatherings seemed to have here and across the nation.
“We do not want the Super Bowl to become a super spreader event, “ he said.
