NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Mayor John Cooper says the “Safer-at-Home” order for Davidson County is extended until at least May 8.
Cooper announced the decision Thursday morning during his daily COVID-19 update, citing a rise in the average daily cases over the last two weeks.
Watch the full briefing below:
Cooper also said that he’s directed the health department to issue Order Number 4, which urges all residents to wear face coverings while in public.
The following conditions will remain in place until Friday, May 8:
- Non-essential businesses stay closed. This includes restaurant dine-in, retail shops, gyms and hair/nail salons.
- No gatherings over 10 people.
- Everyone wears a mask or face covering at all times if leaving home.
- Everyone stays at home unless you’re an essential worker or you need to shop for food, get prescriptions or go to the doctor.
- Everyone maintains at least 6-feet away from others, including while outdoors.
Metro also released a graph showing the number and moving average of COVID-19 cases in Davidson County.
The Metro COVID-19 Task Force said they’re evaluating the following metrics to determine when the city can begin phase one of reopening. They said ideally, all metrics will be stable or improving before they move forward with the plan.
The task force launched its metrics dashboard this morning, which shows that we're still in the "unsatisfactory" category of new cases and transmission rate:
- Transmission rate – less than satisfactory
- 14-day new case trend – less than satisfactory
- Public health capacity – satisfactory
- Testing capacity – satisfactory
- Hospital bed capacity – satisfactory
- Hospital capacity: ICU beds – satisfactory
Cooper said hazard pay has also been approved for city employees who are on the front lines of the virus, including law enforcement. That money, which will come from the CARES ACT funding, may come as one lump sum before December.
Dr. Alex Jahangir provided an update on the four homeless individuals who tested positive at the Fairgrounds, saying they may have also gone to the Nashville Rescue Mission. They will now test everyone there out of an abundance of caution.
The city also announced that its three community assessment centers will be open Monday through Friday. Currently, they're only open three days a week.
Metro Public Health Department officials also confirmed 2,669 total cases, an increase of 57 in the past 24 hours. The cases range in age from 2 months to 99 years.
Dr. Alex Jahangir said an additional death was reported in Davidson County, a 68-year-old man. The health department is waiting on the medical record to determine if there were underlying health conditions. This brings the county's coronavirus death toll to 25.
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 319 calls on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.
Total number of cases: 2,669
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 57
Cases by sex
Male: 1,255
Female: 1,216
Unknown: 198
Total cases by age
| Unknown | 75 |
| 0-10 | 62 |
| 11-20 | 183 |
| 21-30 | 706 |
| 31-40 | 509 |
| 41-50 | 418 |
| 51-60 | 349 |
| 61-70 | 217 |
| 71-80 | 103 |
| 81+ | 47 |
| Total | 2,669 |
| Recovered | 1,411 |
| Deaths | 25 |
| Total active cases | 1,233 |
Editor's Note: We are publishing updates to our COVID-19 count multiple times daily, but with a new story created each day to help track the growth of the virus in the state. Our latest reporting will always be at the top of our website at https://www.newschannel5.com. If this story is more than 24 hours old, (the date this story was published is available at the top of our story, just under the headline) please head to our homepage for our most accurate information.
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.
