NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Tuesday, an additional 567 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Tennessee. The total number of confirmed cases in the state is 16,111, while 8,336 people have since recovered.
As of May 12, 265 Tennesseans have died from the virus. This is an additional 14 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The Tennessee Department of Health said there have been a total of 1,363 hospitalizations and 283,924 COVID-19 tests administered.
TDH Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said the community growth rate stands at 1.9%, while the additional numbers show a growth rate of 3.6%. Dr. Piercey said this is due to widespread inmate testing, which she is not including in the community growth rate.
Current county-by-county numbers are available in the map below this story, updated daily after 2 p.m. These numbers may not add up the total number, as the daily reports from the Tennessee Department of Health often have dozens of cases that have yet been linked to a county.
Governor Bill Lee gave his only update this week on the pandemic's impact in Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon.
Watch the full update below:
Metro health officials confirmed an additional 86 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began to 3,785 in Davidson County.
As of Tuesday, 37 residents have died and 2,284 have recovered from the virus.
Mayor John Cooper and Metro leaders gave an update on the COVID-19 outbreak in Davidson County at 9:30 a.m. as the city begins steps to reopening.
Watch the full update below:
Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of Metro's coronavirus task force, said the city's hospital bed capacity in Middle Tennessee sits at 32% of hospital beds free and 28% of ICU beds free.
At the meeting, Metro health officials released two heatmaps showing the cumulative cases and current active cases by ZIP code.
Below is a heatmap showing the total cases since March.
Below is a heatmap showing active cases in Davidson County.
Epidemiologist Leslie Waller said the health department is monitoring a cluster of cases in the northeast portion of the county. She said the virus has impacted manufacturing workers who are not able to work from home.
Waller pointed out a darker spot in the map in the 37203 ZIP code, which is due to a cluster of cases in the homeless community at the Nashville Rescue Mission.
This week, the Metro Public Health Department issued an order to enforce regulations for masks as the county enters phase one of reopening. While masks are still recommended for residents who are in public places, they are now required for employees who interact with the public or can't maintain a safe distance while at work.
Dr. Michael Caldwell with the health department said they have only made phone calls to businesses who reportedly are not following the guidelines as on Monday, but the department will ramp up enforcement as more businesses begin to reopen.
Editor's Note: We are publishing updates to our COVID-19 count multiple times daily, but with a new story created each day to help track the growth of the virus in the state. Our latest reporting will always be at the top of our website at https://www.newschannel5.com. If this story is more than 24 hours old, (the date this story was published is available at the top of our story, just under the headline) please head to our homepage for our most accurate information.
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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.
