Majority of new COVID-19 cases in Davidson spread at homes, workplaces
Majority of new COVID-19 cases in Davidson spread at homes, workplaces
Chuck Morris, Nancy Amons Updated Oct
29, 2020 | Posted on Oct 29, 2020
Mayor John Cooper said today
that 6-of-10 cases of COVID-19 in Davidson County this month were spread in
workplaces or homes.
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)
- Mayor John Cooper said the majority of new COVID-19 cases reported are
being traced to patients' work or home.
"The new cases are due
to widespread community transmission," Cooper said during Thursday's
weekly coronavirus press briefing.
Cooper said Metro Public
Health Department traced the 5,002 cases reported in October. He said 31% of
the cases reported were traced to workplace and 30% were traced to homes.Play
Video
"Work transmission can
happen when coworkers aren't wearing masks when in meeting or unloading a truck
together. Anytime you're sharing air there is a risk," said Cooper.
Household transmission has
also been a common way of spreading the virus.
"We can unintentionally
expose our family members at the dinner table or watching a movie on the
couch," said Cooper.
Cooper said this is
especially concerning with the holidays approaching.
"As we move into the
holiday season, this is especially important. Being casual and not wearing a
mask this weekend with your friends can put your older family members at risk
later," he said.
Cooper said travel accounted
for 13% of October's cases.
"We're talking about
attending an out-of-state wedding or visiting with friends at the beach,"
said Cooper. "As we've seen all too often with tourists coming into our
city, it's easy to feel like the rules don't apply when you're on vacation and
people can easily pick up the virus while with friends on a trip and bring it
back to their family, friends and coworkers.
"Spread comes not
necessarily from travel itself, but from being too relaxed at the
destination."
On Thursday, Metro Public
Health reported 262 new COVID-19 cases and two additional deaths, an
87-year-old male and a 47-year-old female, both with underlying health
conditions. Metro's rolling 7-day average is 221, which hasn't been that high
since July.
Cooper urged residents to
continue to wear a mask and praised neighboring counties for reinstating mask
ordinances.
Vanderbilt recently released
a report that said the counties without mask mandates have the highest
hospitalizations for COVID-19.
"I'm glad for the new
mask mandates," said Cooper. "One or two counties can't fight this
alone."
Montgomery, Rutherford,
Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties have reinstated mask mandates in the
past week.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has
signed an executive order allowing county mayors in 89 of Tennessee's 95
counties to institute a mask mandate in their counties. This order is set to
end Oct. 30, 2020.
Dr. Alex Jahangir, chairman
of the Metro Nashville Coronavirus Task Force, said capacity at Nashville's
nine hospitals remained above 90%.
Hospital bed availability is
6% at Nashville's hospitals and 13% for Middle Tennessee. ICU bed availability
is 12% at Nashville's hospitals and 13% for Middle Tennessee facilities. There
are 199 currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest reported since July
23.
Nashville's hospitals, our
three major systems and Nashville General, have spoken up very strongly,"
said Jahangir.
Jahangir said some hospitals
may be doubling up beds, but currently there are no plans to open the overflow
facility at Nashville General Hospital.
Hospitals are also delaying
some elective procedures because of capacity.
"Elective procedures are
only so elective," said Jahangir, who said Williamson Medical Center in
Franklin and Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia had stopped elective
procedures.
"I am always worried,
but have a lot of confidence. They are on top of it so strongly," said
Jahangir. "We are worried. We are doing all the things we know to
do."
The Tennessee Hospital
Association said on Wednesday that hospitalizations were at an all-time high
during Gov. Bill Lee's weekly update.
Dr. James Hildreth, president
and CEO of Meharry Medical Center, said reports show that 90% of people are not
being diagnosed with COVID that have the virus.
"Unless you are
interacting with people in your bubble, wear a mask," said Hildreth.
"Nine out of 10 people who have this virus may not be aware that they have
it."
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