NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 962 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. This marks the first time since October the daily increase of new cases was below 1,000 however, due to the winter storm many testing centers around the state will be closed this week.
As of February 16, there have been a total of 759,523 known cases in Tennessee, 726,910 of which are now considered recovered while 21,659 cases remain active. Tuesday's rate of positive tests is 8.87%.
Seventeen additional Tennesseans have died from COVID-19. TDH said 10,954 people have died from the virus so far.
Hospitals statewide reported 1,106 current COVID-19 hospitalizations overnight.
Metro health officials reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. No additional deaths were reported.
Nashville's COVID-19 assessment centers will be closed all week due to ice/snow and frigid temperatures.
In Davidson County, there has been a total of 88,226 cases reported and 84,901 are now considered recovered/inactive. Active cases are currently at 2,708 and have remained below 3,000 for the past week.
The Metro Public Health Department said 578 people have died from a confirmed COVID-19 case. Including probable and confirmed cases, 617 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
MPHD released the following data on cases in Davidson County:
New cases per 100,000 people: 33.4
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 5.9
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 20 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 16 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline was closed today.
Total number of cases: 88,226
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 125
Cases by sex
Male: 41,784
Female: 45,687
Unknown: 755
Cases by age
| Unknown | 142 |
| 0-10 | 4,192 |
| 11-20 | 8,953 |
| 21-30 | 24,627 |
| 31-40 | 17,142 |
| 41-50 | 11,712 |
| 51-60 | 9,893 |
| 61-70 | 6,491 |
| 71-80 | 3,227 |
| 81+ | 1,847 |
| Total | 88,226 |
| Inactive/Recovered | 84,901 |
| Deaths | 617 |
| Total active cases | 2,708 |
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
