Hamilton County on Monday reported eight more cases of coronavirus - bringing the total to 376. Deaths remain at 13.
Hamilton County Health Department administrator Becky Barnes said, “We are working seven days a week doing contact tracing, so even if it’s a weekend, we are contacting positive cases as soon as we get them. And please answer all of our questions so we can protect you, your family, friends, and the community at large.”
Ms.
Barnes also focused on the rising number of cases in in the 37407 zip code. She said that COVID-19 can be anywhere, citing the fact that six different zip codes had positive cases since the last press conference. She said that anyone who wants a test can get one, with tests available seven days a week.
“As of May 17, we have reported 8899 tests performed. This equates one of every 42 people in Hamilton County,” said Ms. Barnes.
Ezekiel Garcia said the county is making efforts to reach Spanish-speaking residents. He said the county is using Facebook as a vehicle to reach these residents.
“Our Facebook videos cover topics such as contact tracing, COVID-19 symptoms, and preventative actions such as wearing a facemask, social distancing, community testing information, and we provide an interpretation of our press briefings in Spanish.”
Ms. Barnes said that the Bonnyshire site tests the maximum 125 people every single day. Ms. Barnes also said there is no connection between reopening and the rise in cases.
“I think that what we said is that the majority of cases are epi-linked to businesses that have been open and familiar spread, but that will change over time,” said Ms. Barnes.
Ms. Barnes also did not give a comment on parents organizing independent “graduation ceremonies” where social distancing is often not followed. However, she did advocate for social distancing.
According to Hamilton County Health Department data as of Sunday, a total of 8,899 tests have been performed. This equates to 24.2 people out of every 1,000 residents have been tested, or 1 out of 42 (41.6) persons using population 369,758.
The state of Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) data also dated May 17th shows a total of 5,645 tests for Hamilton County, a difference of 3,254. The discrepancy for this data lies with the Hamilton County Laboratory at Baylor School, officials said. This lab has not yet achieved full electronic integration with the TDH data reporting. The lag in reporting accounts for the discrepancy between the Health Department’s local number and the TDH data.
Officials said, "The Health Department considers it a top priority to make free testing available to the public. The Health Department has dropped any requirements for testing, such as the need for an appointment, a physician’s referral, symptoms, or even an age requirement. Testing helps the Health Department identify cases early and allows for aggressive contact tracing to begin. Contact tracing seeks to identify any person with whom the infected person came into contact. These people are then asked to self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease, even if they do not have symptoms."
For COVID-19 information, visit the Health Department’s COVID-19 website or call the hotline at 209-8383.