Omicron in TN is 'just a matter of time'
Hello and welcome to this week's Coronavirus Watch. This is reporter Rachel Wegner.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus will “inevitably” spread to Tennessee, likely in the next few weeks, Tennessee’s top health official said Monday.
The variant's arrival will stack on top of an ongoing rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, currently concentrated in northeast counties. But we're still not sure how the new variant will change things in Tennessee.
As of Monday, omicron had surfaced in 18 states, including three that border Tennessee — Georgia, Mississippi and Missouri.
“It’s just a matter of time before omicron is here in Tennessee,” health commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said. "We know a little, and there’s a whole lot we don’t know.”
Read more for what we know so far about omicron.
A number to know today: $315 million — The U.S. is investing $315 million to support vaccine readiness programs through its Global VAX program. The initiative will prioritize scaling up support to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where vaccination rates remain strikingly low compared to other parts of the world.
Coronavirus in Tennessee by the numbers:
50% fully vaccinated in Tennessee
59% fully vaccinated in Davidson County
36% fully vaccinated in Montgomery County
48% fully vaccinated in Rutherford County
60% fully vaccinated in Williamson County
17,818: Active cases statewide
1,895: 7-day average of daily new cases
17,487: Statewide deaths
Source: Tennessee Department of Health data as of Dec. 6. Vaccination percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
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This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Omicron in TN is 'just a matter of time'
