Coronavirus in Tennessee: Wednesday was the worst day yet

Brett Kelman
Nashville Tennessean

Without a doubt, Wednesday was the worst day yet.

Tennessee shattered its daily record for both new coronavirus infections and active infections on Wednesday amid an outbreak that continues to escalate statewide. The state also approached records for hospitalizations and deaths in a single day.

State health officials announced 2,472 new infections, breaking the prior record of 1,822 and setting a new record for the fourth time in just two weeks.

Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said the new infections came from more than 29,000 new tests, which is also a state record, but the sheer number of tests did not explain the rise in infections. It is clear the virus is still spreading fast, she said.

“The 2,500-or-so number is startling, and it's eye-opening, but it is also in context of what we’ve been seeing,” Piercey said. “We see a continued increase, which means this is not slowing down.”

The number of Tennesseans actively infected with the virus rose Wednesday to 22,565 – the highest peak yet. The state also counted 73 new hospitalizations and 20 new deaths, both of which are the second-highest tallies since the outbreak began. The state previously announced 119 hospitalizations on April 29 and 21 deaths on April 6.

Tennessee’s record-setting day comes amid increased calls for Gov. Bill Lee to take more aggressive action to combat the virus. On Monday, 39 Tennessee doctors begged the governor to issue a statewide mask mandate and begin requiring businesses keep customers at a safe distance.

The Lee administration currently recommends but does not require residents to wear masks or businesses to take precautions. Although Lee hasn't mandated masks himself, he granted county mayors authority to enact mask mandates as they see fit.

"It's a targeted approach to ensure that our public health response matches the realities on the ground in a given community," Lee said Wednesday. "And it avoids an ineffective, one-size fits all approach."

The White House also urged caution on Wednesday. Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said residents in states where the virus was spiking should wear masks and stop going to bars or dining within restaurants.

Birx said these precautions were necessary in Arizona, Florida, Texas, California and other “red zone” states but did not explicitly identify all of those states. Tennessee has one of the fastest growing outbreaks, not far behind the four states that Birx named.

“To all of the Americans out there that are in these four states, and the states that in the report were in the red zone … it is really asking the American people in those counties and in those states to not only use the face coverings, not go to bars, not go to indoor dining, but really not gathering in homes either," Birx said.

Lee said he was aware of Birx's recommendations but didn't state any intention to change his plans in response. Lee said his administration will continue to monitor the availability of hospital beds and the virus fatality rate, which remains surprisingly low.

"We are concerned just like Dr. Birx," Lee said. "And we believe that, as we watch the data we will make the decisions best for each community."

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Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.