NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,992 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases reported in the state to 209,447.
Of the total number of cases, 16,752 remain active and 189,990 Tennesseans are now considered recovered from the virus.
Sixty-three additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Thursday, which is the highest single-day increase in deaths reported for Tennessee. TDH has attributed 2,705 deaths to COVID-19.
Statewide, there are 973 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19, a decrease of 2 people in the last 24 hours.
Metro reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. No additional deaths were reported.
Today's update brings Davidson County's total number of cases to 29,915. Right now, there are 1,131 active cases in Metro. Additionally, there have been four new probable cases in the past 24 hours.
Dr. Alex Jahangir provided an update during Metro's weekly COVID-19 briefing, saying that while there has been an uptick in cases, the average remains stable. He also said there’s no obvious source of the uptick, but they are seeing an increase in household cases.
Dr. Jahangir said the mortality rate for all ages is 0.9%. However, for those between the ages of 75 and 85, the mortality rate is significantly higher at 13.5%. For those over 86, it jumps to 15.8%.
As of today, 272 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 283 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
So far, 28,501 individuals have been labeled inactive/recovered.
Nashville is currently in Phase Three of its reopening plan. Dr. Jahangir was asked about when the city could advance to Phase Four, and he said they need more time before those discussions begin.
“We want to stay vigilant, wear masks and we don’t want to roll back. I think Mayor Cooper has been very clear: we want to turn that dial very slowly up so we don’t have to turn back because we all know that turning it back is probably even more painful and impactful for our businesses than not moving quickly,” he said. “We probably need more time before we start talking about a Phase Four, but let’s appreciate where we are right now and try to get through what we can do right now.”
He also encouraged everyone to get a flu shot this year, so Nashville can avoid a "twindemic" of flu and COVID-19 cases.
Watch the full update below:
New cases per 100,000 people: 15.50
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 3.6
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 15 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 16 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 44 calls on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
Total number of cases: 29,915
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 125
Cases by sex
Male: 14,706
Female: 14,912
Unknown: 297
Cases by age
| Unknown | 57 |
| 0-10 | 1,467 |
| 11-20 | 3,264 |
| 21-30 | 8,761 |
| 31-40 | 6,027 |
| 41-50 | 4,123 |
| 51-60 | 2,997 |
| 61-70 | 1,834 |
| 71-80 | 857 |
| 81+ | 528 |
| Total | 29,915 |
| Inactive/Recovered | 28,501 |
| Deaths | 283 |
| Total active cases | 1,131 |
Metro also provided the following statement on today's data: "The file the Metro Public Health Department received from TDH included an error in the number of tests performed in Davidson County. For this reason, the numbers of positive tests, negative tests and total tests performed will not be included in today’s report."
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
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- Nashville's COVID-19 testing centers to adjust operating hours
- Walmart pharmacies in Tennessee now offering COVID-19 vaccines
- Donate to the COVID-19 Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund
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.
