The U.S. has reported more than 32.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 13. There have been more than 577,000 reported deaths from COVID-19-related causes — the highest death toll of any country.

The extent of the spread of the novel coronavirus continues to vary considerably from state to state, and from city to city. Even as the number of daily new cases is flattening or even declining in some parts of the country, it is surging at a growing rate in others.

Nationwide, the number of new cases is growing at a steady rate. There were an average of 13.4 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 Americans in the week ending May 13, essentially unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 15.1 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.

In Tennessee, there were an average of 11.0 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending May 13 — the 22nd fewest of all 50 states. Tennessee’s most recent case growth is essentially unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 14.3 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.

Metropolitan areas with a high degree of mobility and a large population may be particularly vulnerable to outbreaks. While science and medical professionals are still studying how exactly the virus spreads, experts agree that outbreaks are more likely to occur in group settings where large numbers of people routinely have close contact with one another. Cities with high concentrations of dense spaces such as colleges, correctional facilities, and nursing homes are particularly at risk.

In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan area, there were an average of 18.1 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending May 13 — the fastest case growth of any city in Tennessee. The metro area’s most recent case growth rate is basically unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 22.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.

Cleveland, the city where COVID-19 is growing the second fastest, has reported an average of 16.0 new daily cases per 100,000 residents.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Kingsport-Bristol metropolitan area has reported a cumulative total of 31,207 confirmed cases, or 10,180.2 per 100,000 residents. By comparison, there are currently 12,518.6 cases per 100,000 Tennessee residents and 9,889.4 cases per 100,000 Americans nationwide.

In order to slow the spread, cities have ordered the closure of thousands of consumer-facing businesses. These measures have led to widespread job loss and record unemployment. In Kingsport-Bristol, unemployment peaked at 14.1% in April 2020. As of March 2021, the unemployment rate was 5.0%.

To determine the metropolitan area in each state where COVID-19 is growing the fastest, 24/7 Wall St. compiled and reviewed data from state and local health departments. We ranked metropolitan areas according to the average number of new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the seven days ending May 13. Data was aggregated from the county level to the metropolitan area level using boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population data used to adjust case and death totals came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. Unemployment data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is seasonally adjusted.

These are all the counties in Tennessee where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).

MSA	Population	Total cases	Cases per 100,000	Total deaths	Deaths per 100,000
Cleveland, TN	122,563	17,155	13,996.9	175	142.8
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	1,871,903	249,128	13,308.8	2,820	150.6
Morristown, TN	140,912	17,479	12,404.2	348	247.0
Jackson, TN	178,442	21,910	12,278.5	488	273.5
Chattanooga, TN-GA	556,209	64,548	11,605.0	742	133.4
Johnson City, TN	202,049	23,328	11,545.7	452	223.7
Knoxville, TN	853,337	96,266	11,281.1	1,313	153.9
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	1,339,623	145,008	10,824.5	2,369	176.8
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA	306,546	31,207	10,180.2	598	195.1
Clarksville, TN-KY	299,470	29,891	9,981.3	373	124.6

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