LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington set one-week records for new cases and hospitalizations over the past seven days, according to data from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
The city reported 460 new cases over the weekend, pushing the one-week total to 1,458. There were also nine new hospitalizations reported, which brought the one-week total to 55. It's the first time Lexington has reported 50 or more hospitalizations in one week.
"It's skyrocketing, and we're not alone in this," Lexington health department spokesman Kevin Hall said. "All throughout Central Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky – throughout Kentucky, this is spreading."
The 460 new cases included a new one-day record: 265 new cases on Saturday. The city's case total has climbed to 13,926, meaning it's likely that the 14,000th case will be reported Tuesday morning.
The city releases Saturday and Sunday case numbers on Monday mornings. The previous day's cases are released Tuesday through Saturday.
The current spike of cases — which has escalated the city's rolling seven-day average to over 200 cases per day — seems to align with Halloween parties, Hall said.
"We're not able to trace anything specifically to parties or gatherings, but it's very likely part of the increases come from events like that," Hall said.
The spike has created a greater level of concern for the health department as Thanksgiving looms and families make plans to gather for meals and football watch parties.
In addition to holiday parties, there's concern that local residents got too relaxed when Lexington hit a COVID-19 plateau in October. The city's rolling seven-day average has nearly tripled from its lowest point in October.
"People were getting a little too relaxed and celebratory," Hall said. At the halfway point of November, the number of new cases for the month is 2,593, which means Lexington is on pace to report 5,186 cases by the end of the month. The current record for new cases in a month is 2,804, which was reported in September.
