Thanks to everyone for the kind words related to this morning’s article. I’m glad so many of you agree this is the right time to make a shift. I am excited to get back on the trail of all things downtown!
State News:
The state released numbers for Saturday through Monday and reported 1,630, 707, and 806 for the three days. State case totals for the pandemic have reached 660,749 confirmed cases and 132,046 probable cases. 768,631 cases are considered inactive, while 12,526 Tennesseans are currently positive for COVID-19. It the number of active cases is the lowest the state has reported since June 25 (12,187). The seven-day average for the state is 1,270 and has remained within a narrow range near that number for the last two weeks.
Forty-five additional COVID-positive Tennesseans were admitted to the hospital yesterday, bringing the pandemic total to 19,109 hospitalized at some point. 659 are currently hospitalized with the virus, an increase of 31 from the day before. Of these, 185 are in ICUs and 97 are on ventilators. The numbers in ICU and on ventilators are the lowest they have been in months and have fallen from highs on January 5 of 798 in ICUs and 468 on ventilators.
The state did not report data on deaths from Saturday or Sunday, reporting 11 deaths on Monday. A downward adjustment in deaths was made over the weekend, as the total number of deaths reported yesterday afternoon, 11,638, is one fewer than that reported on Friday, even with the addition of the 11.
Testing dropped in the state, with 8,175 tests reported and a 7.25% positive test rate. Johns Hopkins University is reporting a seven-day average 8.4% positive test rate, but it appears their data is responding to the lack of reports over the weekend and may or may not be reflective of the true average.
On the vaccination front, the state seems to be experiencing the same boost in pace as seen elsewhere in the country. The 265,983 shots given in the last seven days is, I believe, a new high for the state for any given seven-day period. In total, 1,943,159 shots have been administered in the state. 17.07% of state residents have gotten at least one shot and 684,950 Tennesseans, or just over 10%, are fully vaccinated.
Local News:
Local numbers continue to be extremely encouraging. It’s important to remember that numbers we now experience as very good, were once very alarming. I remember Dr. Buchanan saying that she was genuinely concerned that we were hitting twenty new cases per day and, later, a death a day from the virus. Our case numbers remain well above that level, though our death rate is either there or soon will be. It is good to remember. If we are careful just a bit longer, this summer could be an exceptionally good one.
For the second consecutive day, the Knox County Health Department reported 34 new cases of COVID-19 in the county. This represents our lowest two-day total since last July 12/13 (19 and 42). The county has now confirmed 40,759 cases and reports 7,481 probable cases. 46,634 cases are inactive, and 1,011 Knox County residents are currently COVID-positive. This represents our lowest number of active cases since October 10 (993).
1,293 Knox County residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. There are six fewer today than yesterday, to leave 28 still in the hospital. The 18% overnight drop continues the downward trend in hospitalization numbers and is the lowest number reported in the hospital since August 11 (26).
There were no COVID-19 deaths reported by the health department today, leaving the total at 595. We have seen sixteen COVID-19 deaths in the county in the first sixteen days of the month, the slowest pace since October. We have had five days with no deaths reported this month, including three of the last five.
The state is reporting an 8.5% positive test result rate for the County. Vaccination numbers have been updated for the county and indicate 139,397 shots have been given here. 19.07% of county residents have gotten at least one shot, and 50,259 (10.7%) county residents are fully vaccinated. Both first vaccination and full vaccination rates are ahead of state numbers.
To sign up on the Knox County Health Department wait list (if you are currently eligible), go here.
For a list of area providers offering the vaccination, go here.