County Mayor’s Notes – December 28th, 2020

COVID-19 Update (difference from previous day)
According to the Governor’s Office, most new COVID-19 cases are coming from small group gatherings like weddings, showers, family events, etc.  To reduce the spread, I am asking everyone to take extra care and to follow the basic rules/guidelines that are in place. 

• If you feel sick, get tested.
• STAY HOME after being tested until you get your result.
• Wear a mask when appropriate.  It is not a political statement; it is about everyone’s health.
• Practice social distancing.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Follow the guidelines provided by Governor Lee and the CDC. 
• Be smart and avoid places you feel are unsafe.

The following are the numbers from the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) for Cumberland County as of today. The change from the prior day, not my prior newsletter, is in parenthesis.

Very few results have been reported for the last couple of days.

740 active cases (-4)
3,434 inactive/recovered (+20)
51 deaths officially reported (+2)
4,225 positive cases (+18)
97 cumulative hospitalizations (+1)
39,745 negative tests (+13)
27.60% positivity rate – 7-day average
81.28% Inactive/Recovered
9.61% cumulative positivity rate (positive cases / positive cases + negative tests)
6.98% of residents have tested positive
1.22% of residents have active cases

These numbers are intended to be a brief summary of the information provided by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). More detailed information can be found at the online dashboard: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html

Click here for the TDH Quarantine & Isolation Calculator:

https://covid19.tn.gov/prevention/quarantine-isolation-calculator/

A new dashboard has been released for each county.  You can now view the Cumberland County COVID-19 dashboard here:

https://covid19.tn.gov/data/dashboards/?County=Cumberland

School level COVID-19 data is now available online.  Click this link to see the information available for Cumberland County:

https://districtinformation.tnedu.gov/covid-information/search/-1/180

Health Department COVID-19 Testing

The local Health Department is conducting COVID-19 testing, free of charge, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  All COVID-19 testing by the Health Department has been moved to the Community Complex at 1398 Livingston Road, Crossville, TN 38571.  The testing will be conducted at that location for a minimum of two weeks.  At that time the site will be evaluated to determine if testing will remain at the Community Complex or if it will move back to the Health Department.  No doctor’s order is required, and no appointment is necessary. Anyone can be tested regardless of symptoms.

The Health Department is offering self-testing kits to adults three days a week to allow staff members to transition to vaccination of frontline health care providers and first responders.  The new COVID-19 self-tests are offered to adults on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  On these days, staff members will provide self-testing kits to adults who wish to be tested.  Individuals will remain in their vehicles while completing paperwork and collecting their samples.  Health Departments will submit the samples for testing.

Adults tested with the new self-tests will register and receive their results online.  The self-tests are not approved for use in children under age 18.  Children and adults unable to register online can still receive the standard nasal swab COVID-19 tests on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

TDH county health departments will be closed and will not offer COVID-19 testing December 24 – 25 and December 31, 2020 – January 1, 2021 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

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 hearing my thoughts and views on news, events, and activities in Cumberland County, please subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you,

Allen Foster
Cumberland County Mayor
http://allenfoster.net