Lexington may boast higher vaccination rates than most of the state, but the city is not immune to Kentucky’s COVID resurgence. The city witnessed a quadrupling of cases in July, per the county's health department.
Mirroring those seen in communities across country, Lexington’s current spike is concentrated among the unvaccinated, who account for 94% of the city’s COVID-related hospitalizations over the last six months. But the more transmissible Delta variant is changing the game – driving Lexington’s 7-day rolling average of new cases 12 times higher than it was just a month ago.
Friday, the Fayette Health Department reported the city’s highest one-day total since February. Department spokesman Kevin Hall says it’s a number he hopes will grab the attention of those still on the fence about vaccination.
"As more and more people realize the danger and contagious nature of this Delta variant and how much being vaccinated can protect them, our hope is that more people will go ahead and step forward and say that they want to get the shot," Hall says.
In the meantime, some businesses and healthcare facilities are taking matters into their own hands. Baptist Health Lexington is the latest to tighten up visitor restrictions while major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Kroger are reupping masking guidance.
