NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,778 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases reported in Tennessee above 100,000.
There have been 99,703 confirmed cases and 1,119 probable cases reported statewide since the outbreak began and 62,129 people are now considered recovered from the virus.
While the state may have crossed this milestone, there are 37,673 active cases as of July 29. This is a decrease in the active number of cases the department has been recently reporting.
Tennessee also passed the 1,000 death mark on Wednesday as 21 new COVID-19-related deaths were reported. In total, 1,020 people have died in the state.
TDH said 4,482 people overall have been hospitalized for the coronavirus, an increase of 110 people since the data was last updated on Tuesday night. This is the highest single-day increase in hospitalizations for the state.
Metro Public Health officials say technical difficulties at the Tennessee Department of Health prevented them from releasing Wednesday's COVID-19 data.
Metro releases its daily numbers at 9:30 a.m. The department released a statement today, saying:
"Due to unforeseen technical difficulties at the Tennessee Department of Health, the Metro Public Health Department did not receive data today and we are unable to provide the daily report for July 29. TDH is actively working on the issue and will send the data to us once the issue is resolved. We will post the next daily report after receiving information from TDH."
The state health department reported issues with its system on Tuesday, which delayed the release of statewide data for several hours. Tuesday's full update wasn't released until 9 p.m.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper gave his first of two weekly briefings on Tuesday, saying the city's 14-day rolling average had improved and the transmission rate had dropped below 1.0. He said for now, the city will remain in its modified Phase Two.
The public health order that requires bars, limited service restaurants and transportainment vehicles to close will be extended until at least midnight on August 16. The order also requires all restaurants to close their dining rooms at 10 p.m.
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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.
