COVID-19: 2 dead in Putnam, UC death toll at 6

By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ

UPPER CUMBERLAND – The death toll from COVID-19 has risen to six across the Upper Cumberland with Putnam County recording its first two fatalities, joining three in Macon and one in Smith. There have now been 238 positive cases across the 14-county region, according to numbers released today by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). Pickett County remains free of the virus.

Details about the two deaths in Putnam County have not been disclosed; however, CRMC officials confirmed that no COVID-19 related deaths have occurred at the facility.

Putnam County now has had 93 positive cases, 9.5% of the 978 tested. This is the first time that the Putnam County percentage has dropped to single digits since the state started releasing numbers of negative test results on March 30.  

Putnam remains the only county in the U.C. that has a higher percentage of positive results than the state average of 7.4%, largely due to the significant number of positive test results at Signature HealthCARE in Algood.

Positive tests increased by 13 overnight with Putnam’s 93 cases joined by Cannon at eight, Clay at five, Cumberland at 55, DeKalb at 10, Fentress at four, Jackson at six, Macon at 30, Overton at seven, Smith at 11, Van Buren at one, Warren at four and White at four. 

There are 81 patients in the U.C. that have recovered from the virus. TDH defines “recovered” as people who (1) have been confirmed to be asymptomatic by their local or regional health department and have completed their required isolation period or (2) are at least 21 days beyond the first test confirming their illness. 

Michelle Price is the former managing editor of the Upper Cumberland Business Journal and can be reached via email. Send an email.

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