NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,624 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of known cases in the state to 752,033.
As of Thursday, 716,136 people are now considered recovered while 25,085 cases remain active, which is down more than 3,500 since Sunday. Thursday's rate of positive tests is 7.41%.
Eighty-one additional Tennesseans have died from COVID-19. TDH has attributed 10,812 deaths to the virus so far.
Hospitals statewide reported 1,232 current COVID-19 patients overnight.
Metro health officials reported 444 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and two additional deaths.
There have been 87,282 total cases reported in Davidson County and 83,774 are now considered recovered/inactive. There are currently 2,897 active cases in Metro Nashville, which is near where the county was in late November. Active cases are currently trending downward and have seen a 12% improvement over the last seven days.
During his weekly COVID-19 briefing, Mayor John Cooper announced a new city-wide campaign to increase vaccinations among Nashville communities of color.
Watch the full briefing below:
Two additional deaths were reported on Thursday morning, a 79-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man. The Metro Public Health Department said 573 people have died from a confirmed COVID-19 case. Including probable and confirmed cases, 611 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
Mayor Cooper said Nashville's case fatality rate is at 0.7%, which is nearly half the state's rate of 1.43%. Tennessee's case fatality rate remains below the national average of 1.72%.
The transmission rate of the virus in the Nashville community now stands at 0.87, which is below Metro's goal of 1.0 but just slightly higher than where the metric was last week at 0.82.
Additionally, active hospitalizations in the region have greatly improved, Dr. Alex Jahangir said during Thursday's briefing. Dr. Jahangir said there are now 398 COVID-19 patients in Middle Tennessee hospitals, which is down from 450 last week, and there are 242 COVID-19 patients in Davidson County hospitals, down from 280 last week.
Starting Thursday, Nashville teachers can begin registering to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. MNPS staff members are supposed to get an email with instructions on how to register and schedule their appointments today.
Teachers who are working in person will get priority, but eventually, all in-person and virtual staff members will get vaccinated. On Friday, those 70 and older can start scheduling their vaccine appointments.
MPHD released the following data on cases in Davidson County
New cases per 100,000 people: 34.7
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 6.0
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 13 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 9 percent
Cases by sex:
Male: 41,331
Female: 45,196
Unknown: 755
Cases by age:
| Unknown | 144 |
| 0-10 | 4,126 |
| 11-20 | 8,836 |
| 21-30 | 24,375 |
| 31-40 | 16,973 |
| 41-50 | 11,587 |
| 51-60 | 9,781 |
| 61-70 | 6,428 |
| 71-80 | 3,196 |
| 81+ | 1,836 |
| Total | 87,282 |
| Inactive/Recovered | 83,774 |
| Deaths | 611 |
| Total active cases | 2,897 |
| Total number of tests conducted | Total positive/probable results | Total negative results | Positive results as percentage of total |
| 969,072 | 99,971 | 869,101 | 10.32% |
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
- Mask mandate, capacity restrictions lifted in Nashville; what you need to know
- Tennessee, Metro to offer COVID-19 vaccine to children 12-15 years old
- Nashville's COVID-19 testing centers to adjust operating hours
- Walmart pharmacies in Tennessee now offering COVID-19 vaccines
- Donate to the COVID-19 Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund
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.
