Hamilton County has added seven new cases of coronavirus - bringing the total to 15, Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said Tuesday.
She said, "Some have had no known contact with people who earlier were confirmed cases. This indicates that community spread is happening. Community spread means that the source of an individual’s infection cannot be traced to a particular person who is positive for the disease. The primary source of infection for COVID-19 is person-to-person transmission, but other sources include people who do not show symptoms (asymptomatic carriers) and objects or surfaces in the environment that are contaminated with the virus. The virus is transmitted when someone touches the infected surface, then touches their face. Community spread will contribute to an increase in new cases."
She added, “We know the announcement of community spread is unsettling to our residents. However, this makes it extremely important that people of all ages and backgrounds continue to stay at home, do not have house guests or play dates, and practice strict social distancing.”
She said 10 of the 15 cases have been male and five female. All have been white. Eight have been in the age range 39-59 and seven 60 or older.
Ms. Barnes said 15 cases "is still a relatively small number of cases in a big county."
She said some of the seven new cases are in the hospital.
The first case was reported in Grundy County.
Bradley County still has two cases and Marion County one. Franklin County has a case.
McMinn County and Monroe County have two each.
Davidson County, where two have died, is up to 183, and Shelby County rose to 99.
Williamson County stands at 64 cases. Sumner County is at 34.
Rutherford County has 13 and Robertson 12.
Knox County now has 15 cases.
It is now in 48 (half) of the state's 96 counties.
Others:
Washington 7
Wilson 7
Cheatham 5
Dickson 5
Jefferson 4
Blount 3
Carroll 3
Cumberland 3
Campbell 2
Dyer 2
Fayette 2
Gibson 2
Hamblen 2
Loudon 2
Sevier 2
Sullivan 2
Anderson 1
Chester 1
Claiborne 1
Cocke 1
Dekalb 1
Hardin 1
Houston 1
Lincoln 1
Madison 1
Overton 1
Perry 1
Roane 1
Scott 1
Out of Tennessee 95
Pending 38