Lexington mayor remains in isolation due to COVID, thanks well wishers for support

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton remains in isolation and continues to experience mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, city officials said Monday.

Craig Cammack, a spokesman for the city, said Gorton still has COVID-19 symptoms.

Gorton, who announced she tested positive on Thursday, said those symptoms were mild. Cammack said Gorton’s condition remains unchanged.

Charlie Gorton, Gorton’s husband, tested positive Wednesday. Both have received vaccinations and booster shots. Both also wear masks indoors.

“She wants to thank everyone who has contacted her and expressed their concern,” Cammack said.

Under new Centers for Disease Control guidelines, Gorton will isolate for five days at home. After that, she can resume activities if she is not symptomatic but must wear a mask when she is in contact with others for five additional days.

Kentucky and Fayette County are experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases, spurred largely by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

For the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020, the positivity rate is above 30 percent statewide. In Fayette County, the seven-day rolling average is 857 cases, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.