NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,715 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the state's total number of cases to 159,546.
Of the total number, 16,163 cases remain active and 141,568 Tennesseans are now considered recovered from the virus. Thursday's update reflects a significant drop in active cases. The health department has adjusted the way it defines active cases in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines.
"You'll notice that our active case count has decreased while our number of inactive or recovered cases has gone up. This stems from an updated time frame of how long a person is considered infectious," said Dr. Lisa Piercey, TDH commissioner. "At the beginning of our response, it was pretty widely assumed that a person may be in an active infection for up to 21 days. But, we've now learned that that period is closer to 10 to 14 days."
Eighteen additional coronavirus-related deaths were announced on Thursday. TDH has attributed 1,815 deaths to COVID-19.
Gov. Bill Lee held his weekly update on Tennessee's fight against the virus.
Watch the full briefing below:
Metro Public Health officials reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. An additional death was reported in the past 24 hours.
During Metro's COVID-19 update, Mayor John Cooper said over the weekend, Metro officers gave 5,200 verbal warnings and issued 16 citations for mask ordinance violations.
Cooper also said the city's transmission rate is .76 -- the lowest since the pandemic began. Right now, there are 1,265 active cases. Dr. Alex Jahangir said Metro hasn't had active cases in the 1,200 range since June 1.
Dr. Jahangir also encouraged everyone to “remain vigilant” over the Labor Day holiday, adding that Metro saw spikes in new cases after Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. If you go out, he asked everyone to wear a mask, to not gather in large groups and keep your distance from others.
“We have made significant progress over the past several weeks, so please let’s not lose the momentum that we’ve gained over this holiday,” he said.
Davidson County’s seven-day positivity rate has fallen to 6.6%, which is lower than the state and surrounding counties.
Including both confirmed and probable cases, Metro officials reported a total of 26,235 cases on Thursday. An additional confirmed death has been reported in the past 24 hours, a 61-year-old woman with a pending medical history.
As of September 3, 229 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 240 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
So far, 24,730 individuals have recovered.
Watch the full presser below:
New cases per 100,000 people: 15.72
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 6.6
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 15 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 13 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 24 calls on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.
Total number of cases: 26,235
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 73
Cases by sex
Male: 13,078
Female: 12,874
Unknown: 283
Cases by age
| Unknown | 54 |
| 0-10 | 1,300 |
| 11-20 | 2,734 |
| 21-30 | 7,738 |
| 31-40 | 5,276 |
| 41-50 | 3,668 |
| 51-60 | 2,630 |
| 61-70 | 1,609 |
| 71-80 | 743 |
| 81+ | 483 |
| Total | 26,235 |
| Recovered | 24,730 |
| Deaths | 240 |
| Total active cases | 1,265 |
On Wednesday, Metro reported 143 new cases in the past 24 hours. However, ICU bed availability dipped to 10%.
This week, the city moved into its modified Phase Two of reopening.
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
- Mask mandate, capacity restrictions lifted in Nashville; what you need to know
- Tennessee, Metro to offer COVID-19 vaccine to children 12-15 years old
- 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.
