COVID-19 Case Count Prevents Nursing Home Visitation
BY SABRINA BATES
sabrina@dresdenenterprise.com
WEAKLEY COUNTY (September 8) – While Weakley County's number of active COVID-19 cases is dropping slowly, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, the county hasn't experienced enough of a steady drop to consider safely allowing visitors back into local nursing homes. Henry, Carroll and Obion counties joined Weakley with an above-the-threshold average to consider the return of visitors to nursing home and assisted living facilities.
As of Tuesday, September 8, the case average for Weakley County for a seven-day period was 16. The week prior's average was 19.9 new cases. Weakley County averages 108 COVID-19 tests daily. The total case count for the county was 970 as of Tuesday, with 140 of those considered active cases. Weakley County recorded its 14th day as of Tuesday.
Each Friday, the Tennessee Department of Health releases COVID-19 case count information in long-term care facilities, including the number of residents with active cases, recoveries and total number of employees who have tested positive.
In Martin, VanAyer Nursing and Rehabilitation recorded 14 total positive cases of residents, with 11 recovered, 1 death and 13 employees. VanAyer is a 58-bed facility.
Diversicare, also in Martin, had 35 positive cases among residents, with 29 recovered, 1 death and 20 employees who have tested positive. Diversicare is a 92-bed facility.
In Dresden, Weakley County Nursing and Rehabilitation was listed with 5 positive residents, 5 recovered, 1 death and 3 employees who tested positive.
The TDH reports once a facility has no new active cases and it's been 28 days since the last exposure of COVID-19, the facility will be removed from the weekly listing.
Counties in Tennessee with an average of less than 10 new positive COVID-19 cases per day within a 14-day period are recommended to allow visitation at long-term care facilities.
After three full weeks of school buildings opening their doors to students, 147 students and 11 teachers are reportedly in quarantine as reported Thursday, September 3. A week prior, the Weakley County School System reported 204 students and four staff members in quarantine due to potential exposure to COVID-19.
Last week, the Tennessee Department of Education released plans to report additional COVID-19 information at school and district levels, including numbers of new positive COVID-19 cases in districts and schools. There are 147 school districts in Tennessee.
The University of Tennessee at Martin provides a daily COVID-19 on its website at utm.edu. As of Tuesday, September 8, UTM reported 20 active COVID-19 cases in students and 3 active cases among staff/faculty.
Across Northwest Tennessee, Obion County reported 937 total cases, with 127 of those active and 8 COVID-19-related deaths.
Henry County reported 526 total COVID-19 cases, with 80 of those active and 8 COVID-19-related deaths.
In Carroll County as of Tuesday, September 8, there were 698 total COVID-19 cases, with 131 of those active and 10 COVID-19-related deaths.
Weakley and Henry counties are under a mask mandate in public spaces through September 30, unless their county mayors' Executive Orders are rescinded.
