Tennessee Weekly Situation Summary
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
July 3, 2020 Update
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents...
Surveillance
- Please visit the TDH COVID-19 webpage for Tennessee’s most up-to-date case count or CDC’s COVID View: a weekly surveillance summary of U.S. COVID-19 activity.
- Numerous counties have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases across the state. Granular information by county is available online.
- Recent estimates show that approximately half of all infections are from an unknown source and that the number of contacts per case has increased.
- Although COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased, they represent ~5% of all hospitalized patients in TN, and hospital capacity remains stable across Tennessee.Response
• Governor Bill Lee signed:
o Executive Order 50, extending the State of Emergency in Tennessee to August 29 .
o Executive Order 51 and 52, extending provisions that allow for electronic government meetings
subject to transparency safeguards and remote notarization and witnessing of documents,to August29 .
- A formalized plan for jurisdictions with an increase in cases is being developed by the Unified Command Group. A number of factors are considered in identifying areas with increases in cases (new case rate, testing rates, positivity rate, clusters, disparities in specific populations).
- The Unified Command Group outlined the standard public health responses to an increase in cases:
o Increased public messaging
o Outreach and coordination with local community and unique population groups o Increasing testing access and availability
o Prevention messaging
- A TNHAN was released on June 24th with updates to providers and the public about the increasing casecounts, remdisivir, MIS-C cases and PPE decontamination, among other topics.
- Mask distribution continues at health departments, and with additional distribution to partners such asTennessee Highway Patrol, Welcome Centers, etc.
- TDH currently has over 750 staff members performing COVID-19 contact tracing activities statewide incoordination with county health departments and TDH’s central and regional offices.
- Tennessee's long-term care facilities are reinstating visitations under specific safety protocols.
- The Economic Recovery Group is inviting TN employers with 250 or more employees to request pop-upCOVID-19 testing events. TN Strong Mask Movement program awareness is encouraged.Ongoing TDH Activities
- Supporting COVID-19 assessments at local health departments.
- Operating information lines for public inquiries and maintaining a clinician’s consultation line.
- Sharing information via social media networks and the TDH COVID-19 webpage and conductingtelebriefings for healthcare providers, hospitals, and partner agencies.
- Investigating cases, tracing contacts, and monitoring cases and contacts.
- Utilizing the Healthcare Resource Tracking System to monitor COVID-19 hospitalization numbers,personal protective equipment inventories and strain on the healthcare system.
- Recruiting medical professionals through the Medical Reserve Corps Program.
- Supporting state laboratory testing.Important Reminders
- COVID-19 tests are free to all in local health departments.
- A hotline is available for frontline healthcare workers, implemented by the Department of Mental Healthand Substance Abuse Services.
- The Tennessee Pledge: a plan to help Tennesseans return to work in a safe environment, restore theirlivelihoods and reboot the state’s economy.
- CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing is difficult.
- Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick. Wash your hands often with soapand water (or alcohol-based hand rub) for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing.Recent Guidance from CDC
- New: Living in or Visiting Retirement Communities or Independent Living Facilities | Interim Considerations for Health Departments for SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Homeless Shelters and Encampments | Visiting Beachesand Pools | About COVID-19 Epidemiology | Studying the disease | Identifying the source of the outbreak |Monitoring and tracking the disease | Developing guidance to protect the public’s health