NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee joined President Donald Trump and other officials in a briefing from the White House Thursday morning.
Lee participated in the briefing on “Protecting America’s Seniors.” During the briefing, the President announced that he signed a proclamation naming the month of May as "Older Americans Month."
"Great progress is being made and will be made, that I can promise you," said Pres. Trump. These great citizens have dedicated their entire lives to their families and our country. This nation would not be where it is without these great citizens."
Trump also announced that FEMA will send supplemental personal protective equipment to every Medicaid and Medicare certified nursing homes. They will include a 7-day supply of PPE. The first shipment of supplies will begin next week in New York and Washington D.C.
Testing information from nursing homes will be required to be sent to the CDC and family members.
Along with the above actions, the White House is creating a Coronavirus Commission for the Safety and Quality of Nursing Homes. The President said they will convene in May and issue recommendations to protect the nation's senior citizens.
"The elderly are most hard pressed in this setting," said Gov. Lee "It's time for us to protect them and we should do so by practicing social distancing in every way we can."
The federal government will be issuing state grants to support state and local leaders in their efforts to manage nursing homes.
Lee typically provides his COVID-19 update for the state at 3 p.m. Those updates are expected to resume Friday.
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
