As of this writing, I have been notified by the TN Department of Health (TDH) that 14 residents of Cumberland County have tested positive for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Contact tracing is standard in all cases, so if you have been in close contact with someone that has tested positive, you will be notified. These numbers WILL get worse. STAY AT HOME whenever possible, practice social distancing, and wash your hands frequently. You must take this seriously to slow the spread!
Governor Lee announced yesterday that deaths by county will begin to be released soon. The number of recovered is also starting to be released. The number of recovered will continue to increase as more people are tested and possibly required to self-quarantine. More detailed information on the State and County level can be found at this link:
https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html
The Health Department continues testing Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. For more information call 931-484-6196.
Cumberland County Emergency Preparation
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare for emergency situations. Crossville/Cumberland County has an Emergency Management Agency (EMA) with two full time staff members. The mission of the Emergency Management Agency is to protect lives and property from the threat of all types of major emergencies and disasters, both natural and manmade. Our EMA prepares and plans for these types of emergencies on a continual basis, and has a pandemic plan in place.
Currently, teleconferences with local health care providers and our emergency responders are frequent, at least weekly but more often if needed. They continue to discuss the current situation and prepare for the future. Conference calls are also held twice a week with TEMA and we are in daily contact with the local Health Department.
Teleconferences are also ongoing in preparation for aligning local resources to assist people in need. The Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters (VOAD) group in Cumberland county is working with EMA to ramp up to help our citizens as well. Read today’s press release for more details here:
EMA COVID-19 Press Release March 1, 2020
EMA is helping to coordinate with organizations that are sewing cloth masks that can be worn over the N95 masks used to protect from COVID-19. This helps extend the use of the N95 masks. They are also preparing for the possibility that the Community Complex will serve as an alternative care site in Cumberland County if there is a need.
Our local EMA is in charge of coordinating the purchase of PPE for health care providers as well. Note, EMA does NOT coordinate this for individuals, only for health care providers. If you are a health care provider and are in need of PPE, please contact the EMA at 931-484-7016. Our EMA is working with our local healthcare providers and EMS services and is ready to respond.
If you have more questions please check out and follow the EMA Facebook page by searching for @ccctnema or Crossville / Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency. It is a great source of information for COVID-19, storms, etc.
Your county-wide elected officials are also frequently in touch via conference call. We are meeting via teleconference at least weekly at this point but can more often as needed.
I also keep in contact with David Bunch, the CAO of Cumberland Medical Center. We talked yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) and discussed the hospital’s preparation for this situation. CMC is a part of the Covenant network. Mr. Bunch assured me CMC is ready in the event of an influx of patients.
Tennessee Innovation Crowdsource Platform
LaunchTN is working in partnership with Tennessee’s COVID-19 Unified Command to engage companies, including entrepreneurs and startups, to rapidly connect solutions, resources, and capabilities to major issues facing our state.
The Tennessee Innovation Crowdsource Platform will allow us to organize and evaluate proposals, complete due diligence, and recommend promising strategies to state procurement specialists for expedited treatment. We invite all companies to participate, regardless of whether you’re able to scale at the level needed right now.
Solicitations will be actively updated as the needs of our state evolve. Please register your business and visit the pages describing open solicitations to find specific details on needs and how to submit your proposal. For more information click here: https://launchtn.org/innovationplatform/
Mental Healthcare
I have had a lot of new newsletter subscribers and social media follower of late, so I’m going to repost this. Most of us have been experiencing high levels of stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are isolated to a great extent while dealing with unprecedented levels of uncertainty. Here is a list of mental health resources that are available:
- Text “TN” to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line and to immediately be connected to a trained crisis counselor 24/7. Click this link to learn about the Crisis Text Line
- The TN Charitable Care Network lists all charitable clinics in the state of Tennessee and can be accessed here: https://www.tccnetwork.org
- The “My Health Care Home” website directs Middle Tennesseans to their nearest charitable clinic (i.e., Matthew Walker, Neighborhood Health, etc.). It includes prescription discounts, screenings, and more information at www.myhchTN.org.
- The Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 800-273-8255. If preferred, you can go to the website and participate in a chat feature.
- Go HERE for free, anonymous, evidence-based screenings for anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. Parents can take a screening to determine if their children are showing symptoms of depression or anxiety. The back-end of the screenings provides local resources and do-it-yourself exercises to help.
Thank you for being part of the solution and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your County Mayor. If you are interested in following the events of the county, please subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you,
Allen Foster
Cumberland County Mayor
allenfoster.com 