Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton says the latest data shows 70% of residents ages 18 and older are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. The mayor announced the Coronavirus data at an outdoor downtown event recognizing healthcare workers. Fayette Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said student and staff quarantining is, by and large, not related to in-school spread of the virus.
“So, what we’re finding is our students are coming to us from their home environment or from a public environment or our staff is coming in and have been exposed elsewhere and causing us to have issues in our school buildings,” said Liggins.
Free COVID testing for pre-K through 12 students, faculty, and staff is being established over the next week at Immanuel Baptist Church, Fayette Public Schools on Midland Avenue, and Lexington Legends Ballpark off North Broadway.
Fayette Health Department Spokesman Kevin Hall says since February 88% of those hospitalized in Lexington were unvaccinated. He said a snapshot one-day hospital review this week shows 79% unvaccinated.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton noted COVID-19 is surging in her community. Gorton said Lexington saw three-thousand cases over four months, March through June. In the past four weeks, the mayor said more than four-thousand COVID cases were reported.
Keeneland is playing host to it’s second Railbird Music Festival this weekend with daily attendance projected at 30,000. St Joseph Healthcare Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Daniel Rodrigue said there are no standards for large outdoor events. But he noted preliminary data shows masking, testing, and vaccinations work to diminish spread.
“It is effective if you employ a lot of measures. But, it doesn’t take much to have somebody who’s not vaccinated, who’s not masking, to transmit this in a closed setting. This is acting more infectious than it was in the beginning,” said Rodrigue.
Mayor Gorton said the Railbird Festival is not a city event. Festival organizers say proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test three days prior is required for admittance. Unvaccinated attendees are to wear a mask during their time onsite.
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