Health officials identify more than 2,500 new coronavirus cases, 37 additional deaths in Tennessee

SHELBY CO., Tenn. (WMC) - Tennessee’s coronavirus case count is nearing 87,000 after more than 1.2 million tests have been administered statewide.

The Tennessee Department of Health has identified 2,570 new coronavirus cases and 37 more deaths -- bringing the state’s total to 86,987 cases and 925 deaths as of Thursday.

Of those cases, 86,117 have been confirmed and 870 are probable. So far, 891 of the total deaths have been confirmed and 34 are probable.

More than 4,000 Tennesseans have been hospitalized and 51,661 have recovered from the virus.

Health officials have confirmed 429 new coronavirus cases and five more deaths in Shelby County.

The Shelby County Health Department has identified 17,684 coronavirus cases and 256 total deaths countywide.

Of the total cases, 70.3 percent have recovered from the virus. There are currently 4,993 active coronavirus cases. Currently, there are 7,782 people in quarantine.

A tweet from the City of Memphis said COVID-19 labs and community testing sites have reached capacity and are backed up in the Bluff City.

The tweet is asking people to only get tested if they are feeling sick or have been exposed to the virus.

Over the past few weeks, the county’s positivity rate has continued to skyrocket. Shelby County and the City of Memphis have both issued masks ordinances to help decrease communal transmission.

Mid-South hospitals are being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitalizations in connection to the virus increase each day. Officials are now looking at the possibility of having to open the alternative care facility in Memphis to help more patients in need.

The chart below explains current capacity issues:

The health department is also investigating multiple COVID-19 outbreaks/clusters at several assisted care facilities in Memphis and Shelby County.

At least 19 clusters at facilities that were previously under investigation have been resolved. The health department says clusters are resolved once a facility goes 28 consecutive days without reporting a new case

Here are case totals for other counties in the Mid-South:

Arkansas -- 35,246 total cases and 380 deaths

• Crittenden -- 994 cases; 15 deaths; 858 recoveries
• Cross -- 124 cases; 1 death; 98 recoveries
• Lee -- 867 cases; 6 deaths; 814 recoveries
• Mississippi -- 489 cases; 7 deaths; 339 recoveries
• Phillips -- 219 cases; 6 deaths; 166 recoveries
• Poinsett -- 109 cases; 3 deaths; 77 recoveries
• St. Francis -- 968 cases; 3 deaths; 910 recoveries

Mississippi -- 48,053 total cases and 1,436 deaths (state not releasing recovery data at this time)

• Alcorn -- 198 cases; 2 deaths
• Benton -- 85 cases
• Coahoma -- 471 cases; 7 deaths
• DeSoto -- 2,668 cases; 21 deaths
• Lafayette -- 653 cases; 4 deaths
• Marshall -- 423 cases; 5 deaths
• Panola -- 640 cases; 8 deaths
• Quitman -- 141 cases; 1 death
• Tate -- 531 cases; 19 deaths
• Tippah -- 216 cases; 11 deaths
• Tunica -- 173 cases; 3 deaths

Tennessee -- 86,987 total cases and 925 deaths

• Crockett -- 130 cases; 3 deaths; 48 recoveries
• Dyer -- 400 cases; 5 deaths; 179 recoveries
• Fayette -- 510 cases; 8 deaths; 298 recoveries
• Hardeman -- 614 cases; 9 deaths; 356 recoveries
• Haywood -- 224 cases; 4 deaths; 95 recoveries
• Lauderdale -- 287 cases; 6 deaths; 139 recoveries
• McNairy -- 195 cases; 1 death; 75 recoveries
• Tipton -- 877 cases; 8 deaths; 591 recoveries

Read more coronavirus coverage here

Copyright 2020 WMC. All rights reserved.