NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,293 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases reported in the state to 197,432.
Of the total number, 14,150 remain active and 180,781 Tennesseans are now considered recovered from the virus.
Forty-seven additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday. TDH has attributed 2,501 deaths to COVID-19.
Currently, there are 846 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Tennessee, an increase of 29 people in the last 24 hours.
Metro Public Health officials reported 60 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death.
During Metro's COVID-19 update on Thursday, Dr. Alex Jahangir said five of Nashville's eight reopening metrics are in the green.
“Overall, our numbers are very encouraging, however, it would be good to see the cases per-100,000 get to about 10,” said Dr. Jahangir.
Dr. James Hildreth, president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, said more than 200 vaccines are currently being evaluated, with 11 of those now in phase three trials. He said it’s likely at least one or more will be approved by the FDA in the coming months.
“The good news is, even though we don’t have a proven treatment for COVID-19, because of the efforts of physicians who refine and tweak the treatment of the virus we can now reduce the likelihood of death significantly,” Hildreth said.
Hildreth also stressed the importance of wearing masks, good hand washing and continued social distancing measures during the fall months when more people will be indoors.
He said the likelihood of having a "significant" flu season is high this year and encouraged everyone to get a flu shot because it's possible to get both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time.
Thursday's update brings Davidson County's total number of cases to 29,065. Right now, there are 977 active cases in Metro.
Metro said there have been six new probable cases in the past 24 hours.
Probable cases refer to those that have supporting epidemiological and clinical evidence that a COVID-19 infection has occurred, regardless of test result. If a person is a close contact of a COVID-19 case and has a clinically compatible illness, he or she can meet the criteria to be a probable case. Additionally, a positive result of an antigen test from a respiratory specimen can meet the criteria to be a probable case. If a health care provider diagnoses a person with clinically compatible illness with COVID-19, this person meets the probable case criteria.
An additional confirmed death has been reported in the past 24 hours, a 69-year-old woman with underlying health conditions.
As of today, 265 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 276 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
So far, 27,812 individuals have been labeled inactive/recovered.
Watch Metro's full update below:
New cases per 100,000 people: 14.73
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 3.6
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 14 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 13 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 42 calls on Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
Total number of cases: 29,065
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 60
Cases by sex
Male: 14,300
Female: 14,475
Unknown: 290
Cases by age
| Unknown | 56 |
| 0-10 | 1,414 |
| 11-20 | 3,122 |
| 21-30 | 8,538 |
| 31-40 | 5,852 |
| 41-50 | 4,030 |
| 51-60 | 2,911 |
| 61-70 | 1,789 |
| 71-80 | 835 |
| 81+ | 518 |
| Total | 29,065 |
| Inactive/Recovered | 27,812 |
| Deaths | 276 |
| Total active cases | 977 |
On Thursday, Nashville moved into phase three of reopening, which allows for more patrons in restaurants and bars, as well as larger group gatherings.
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.
