NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,508 new cases on Tuesday.
Tennessee has reported a total of 233,569 cases since the outbreak began. As of Tuesday, 208,182 Tennesseans are considered recovered from the virus and 22,435 cases remain active. The state reported a percent positive rate of 11.29% on Tuesday, which is above the department's goal of less than 10%.
Active hospitalizations hit an all-time high overnight with 1,259 people being treated for COVID-19. The state has repeatedly topped its record for active hospitalizations over the last week.
Thirty additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Tuesday. TDH has attributed 2,952 deaths to COVID-19.
Gov. Bill Lee held a press conference to discuss the state of the pandemic Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, He said he intends to extend his local mask mandate order through the rest of the year. The order gives county mayors the authority to issue local mask mandates as they see fit.
The conference was held virtual as the governor remains in quarantine after a member of his security detail tested positive for COVID-19. Lee said he will remain in quarantine until next Tuesday afternoon.
Watch the entire press conference below:
The Metro Public Health Department reported 441 new cases of COVID-19. No additional deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Tuesday's update brings Davidson County's total number of cases to 32,200. Right now, Metro has 2,018 active cases.
Metro has not reported a daily increase in the 400-range since late July. The city entered Phase Three of its reopening at the beginning of October.
The transmission rate and new cases per-100,000 residents remain in the "red" category, which is considered unsatisfactory. Read more about Nashville's key metrics here.
As of today, 277 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 288 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
So far, 29,894 individuals have been labeled as inactive/recovered after having the virus previously.
New cases per 100,000 people: 26.89
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 5.6
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 17 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 14 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 40 calls on Monday, October 19, 2020.
Total number of cases: 32,200
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 441
Cases by sex
Male: 15,771
Female: 16,124
Unknown: 305
Cases by age
| Unknown | 58 |
| 0-10 | 1,566 |
| 11-20 | 3,517 |
| 21-30 | 9,462 |
| 31-40 | 6,489 |
| 41-50 | 4,403 |
| 51-60 | 3,234 |
| 61-70 | 1,968 |
| 71-80 | 935 |
| 81+ | 568 |
| Total | 32,200 |
| Inactive/Recovered | 29,894 |
| Deaths | 288 |
| Total active cases | 2,018 |
Tennessee also set a new record for COVID-19 hospitalizations overnight. The latest numbers from the Tennessee Department of Health show there are now 1,259 people in Tennessee hospitals with confirmed cases of the virus. That's up 44% from the first of the month when there were just 873 hospitalized patients.
Editor's note: Metro initially reported 444 new cases, not 441. The story has been updated to reflect their correction.
CORRECTION: the 24-hour change in cases is 441, not 444. We apologize for any confusion this might have caused.
— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) October 20, 2020
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
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- 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.
