By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
NASHVILLE – The latest numbers from the Tennessee Department of Health show that the Upper Cumberland’s positive cases of COVID-19 jumped by more than 26% from Monday to Tuesday, increasing from 53 to 67 cases. Clay County reported its first positive case today, leaving Jackson, Pickett and Van Buren as the only counties in the U.C. free of the virus.
Putnam County, the hub of the U.C., continues to have the majority of the cases with 31, an increase of seven overnight. Putnam’s positive test rate is up to 12%, with a total of 258 tests performed.
Cumberland County added three positive cases overnight bringing their total to 14. Cumberland, well known as a popular retirement community, has done the most testing in the U.C. with 280 tests performed, but only has a 5% positive rate.
Authorities are saying that the next two weeks will see an increase in positive test results, and both the region (5.9%) and the state (8.3%) are seeing their positive rates inch up.
Counties seeing an increase were Clay adding its first case, Cumberland adding three for a total of 14 cases, DeKalb increasing one to a total of five cases, Putnam adding seven to a total of 31 cases, Smith adding one to a total of three cases and White adding one to now have two cases.
Remaining steady were Cannon with three, Fentress with one, Macon with four, Overton with two and Warren with one case.
There are now 200 hospitalized statewide, including four at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, and deaths related to COVID-19 now total 24 statewide.
Testing is now available in every county in the U.C. and an article with testing information is available here.
Statewide coronavirus numbers can be found here. The statewide numbers for positive tests will be updated daily at 2 p.m. A map with more detailed information is available here.
