Davidson County has had an increase in COVID-19 cases as a result of increased testing.
This, according to Metro Public Health Department spokesman Brian Todd.
“I checked with our epidemiologist and was told we have seen a steady increase in testing in Davidson County since mid-April,” Todd told The Tennessee Star in an email Monday.
“At the same time, our attack rate has hovered between 9 and 10 percent. Therefore, we have indeed observed an increase in cases as a result of increased testing.”
Todd provided a list of numbers for May 31 through June 7. According to those numbers, there were a total of 7,171 tests conducted in Davidson County. And 3,094 of those tests were conducted at the three Community Assessment Centers. But other tests may have come from Vanderbilt walk-in clinics or other health care providers, Todd said.
“We do not have all the test results back from Thursday and Friday of last week, however, of the ones we have back, between the percentage ranges from 9.2 – 9.4 percent are positive,” Todd said.
Metro Coronavirus Task Force Chair Alex Jahangir said at a press conference Monday that the county’s 14-day average concerns him.
“That is why we continue to pause until we enter Phase Three and see what happens over the next few days,” Jahangir said.
“This doesn’t mean that we are regressing. It doesn’t mean that we are going back to Phase One. It just means we are staying at status quo for just a little bit longer.”
As The Star reported, Cooper announced in late May that Nashville would move to Phase Two of a four-phased plan to reopen the city’s economy after COVID-19.
In Phase Three businesses and restaurants will go to full capacity. In addition, bars and entertainment venues will open at half capacity. Gyms and fitness facilities will open. Other gatherings will be limited to 100, again with adherence to strict physical distancing protocols.
In Phase Four, bars and entertainment venues will be at full capacity, and sport venues will open with adherence to physical distancing protocols and best practices.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
And what is the % positive for those with symptoms vs those without? That is, what is the % of asymptomatic people walking around with this bug? They never tell us that.