Tennessee had 228 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Friday evening, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s website, although Friday’s news brought cause for some optimism, at least in Davidson County.
Davidson County continued to have the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, 101, according to the TDH website. This, even though Alex Jahangir, who chairs that county’s Metro Coronavirus Task Force, said the number was higher at a press conference Friday morning.
“There are a total of 110 confirmed cases in Davidson County. That is an increase of 50 cases in the past 24 hours. The ages range from 11 to 73-years-old. Of the confirmed cases, two are currently hospitalized. Ninety-three cases are self-isolating at home and have mild symptoms,” Jahangir said.
“Fifteen people who were confirmed cases have now recovered and are cleared. This is new information, and it is encouraging to report. As we have said before, the more people who are tested, the more these numbers will rise. Our efforts to flatten the curve continue this morning.”
Jahangir and Nashville Democratic Mayor John Cooper said at Friday’s press conference that members of the Metro Health Department would order all Davidson County restaurants to close to dine-in customers. Metro Health Department members would instead encourage takeout orders, drive-thru service, curbside pickup, and delivery service. Metro officials would also order all gyms and workout facilities to close.
According to the TDH’s website, as of Friday evening:
• Williamson County had 35 confirmed coronavirus cases
• Sumner County had 11 confirmed coronavirus cases.
• Hamilton County had five confirmed coronavirus cases.
• Shelby County had four confirmed coronavirus cases.
• Knox and Wilson counties each had three confirmed coronavirus cases.
• Cheatham, Cumberland, Dickson, Robertson, and Washington counties had two confirmed coronavirus cases.
• Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Dyer, Greene, Hamblen, Jefferson, Maury, Rutherford, Sevier, Sullivan, and Tipton counties had one confirmed case each of the coronavirus.
The TDH website described 40 additional confirmed coronavirus cases outside of Tennessee, but TDH officials did not explain further.
As The Tennessee Star reported Thursday, Cooper said he signed Executive Order No. 6, which declared a state of emergency throughout Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. Cooper also announced that members of the Nashville-based Frist Foundation will donate $1 million to a fund that city officials set up to help people who have fallen ill to the coronavirus. The fund will also help people who lost their jobs or number of working hours because of the coronavirus emergency.
Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation CEO Butch Spyridon said the coronavirus emergency will hit the city’s hospitality industry the hardest.
As The Star reported, per last week’s public health emergency declaration, bars on Lower Broadway and throughout Davidson County must close until further notice.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
