NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There are now 42,262 total cases of COVID-19 and an additional three patients in Davidson County have died as of Friday, according to the Metro Public Health Department.
Public and private gatherings in Nashville and Davidson County will be limited to a maximum of eight people beginning the week of Thanksgiving to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
During his weekly news briefing Thursday morning, Mayor John Cooper said the public health orders will be amended to restrict all gatherings to eight people, whether at a restaurant or in a backyard, starting Monday, Nov. 23.
The total number of confirmed and probable cases grew by 258 in the past 24 hours. There have been a total of 353 deaths in Davidson County.
Three additional confirmed deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, a 73-year-old man, a 90-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, all with underlying health conditions.
A reported 38,372 individuals have recovered from the virus. Of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Davidson County, 3,537 are “active.”
The age range of patients is from one month old to 103 years old, 20,532 of which are men, 21,380 are women and the gender of 350 patients is unknown.
The health department reported available hospital beds in Nashville are at 11% and available ICU beds are at 8%.
The Metro COVID-19 hotline received 314 calls on Thursday.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported 2,887 new cases on Thursday, putting the state at 328,088 total cases, a .9% day-to-day increase since Wednesday. Of the total cases, 304,077 are confirmed and 24,011 are probable. There are currently 40,175 active cases.
All five of Tennessee’s record single-day increases have occurred in the last two weeks.
- 1. Nov. 16: 7,951 new cases
- 2. Nov. 9: 5,919 new cases
- 3. Nov. 15: 5,817 new cases
- 4. Nov. 7: 5,071 new cases
- 5. Nov. 14: 4,662 new cases
For the fourth day in a row, the state reported a new record-high number of current COVID hospitalizations. There are 2,003 people currently hospitalized in Tennessee. The number of total hospitalizations now sits at 11,422.
The latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force says the spread of COVID-19 in Tennessee over the last month “has become deeper and unyielding,” citing Halloween and “related activities” as contributors.
The information was included in a document, dated Nov. 15, obtained by ABC News. The report, which is provided to governors across the United States, suggests 47 states and the District of Columbia are in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases, including Tennessee.
Several Tennessee schools districts have announced early closures ahead of the Thanksgiving break due to COVID-19 cases and quarantines.
With cases on the rise, and many districts taking action, teachers demanded action from the governor.
“Having clear direction from the Governor, and the Commissioner of Health, and the Commissioner of Education to help school superintendents, directors of schools, administrators make the best possible decisions for the health safety and well-being of Tennessee students is paramount. I think we’re lacking in that area, quite frankly,” said Tennessee Education Association President Beth Brown.
In a letter to Governor Bill Lee Tuesday, Brown stated the teacher’s union needed the state to provide more protections for educators and students.
A group of Tennessee physicians on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic is urging Governor Lee to issue a state-wide mask mandate as many hospitals struggle to deal with the influx of sick patients.
On Monday, COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Moderna, said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from the company’s still ongoing study. Last week, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S.
Tennessee is one of the four states chosen for Pfizer’s U.S. COVID-19 Immunization Pilot Program.
A report from the Associated Press Thursday stated Pfizer and BioNTech will seek emergency government approval for their coronavirus vaccine, as the U.S. aims to begin administering doses by the end of the year. Moderna is expected to file for emergency approval for its own vaccine candidate in the coming weeks.
