Most of area in 'high' zone for community transmission of COVID

Donna Smith, Oakridger
·3 min read
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Most of East Tennessee — including Anderson, Roane and Morgan counties — are in the "high" community level zone for COVID-19 transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The recent increase to the "high" zone led officials with the federal facilities in Oak Ridge to mandate masks for workers and visitors.

Last Tuesday, the CDC website listed Anderson, Roane and Morgan counties as being in the "high" transmission zone for COVID-19, while nearby Knox and Loudon counties were in the medium community level zone. As of Wednesday, all of these counties, plus neighboring Campbell County, are now in the "high" zone. The Tennessee Department of  Health updates its numbers for COVID-19 late on Wednesday afternoons.

With the "high" designation, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public; staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, getting tested if you have symptoms and the possibility of additional precautions for people at high risk for severe illness. The "medium" designation is nearly the same although it does not include the recommendation of wearing a mask, but tells you to ask your doctor if you should given your health status.

Methodist Medical Center

Despite a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases over the last several months, a Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge spokesperson said the hospital has only seen a slight increase in patients requiring high-level care or respiratory care.

MMC provided the newspaper with a statement from physician Lauren Panezich of McNeeley Family Physicians in Clinton, as well.

“A majority of cases we’ve recently seen have been in unvaccinated individuals, but even patients who are fully vaccinated and boosted have been infected," she reportedly said. "It’s important to remember that previous infection with COVID-19 does not guarantee protection from repeat infection; you can, unfortunately, become infected with another strain.

Covenant Health, parent company of Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, and the parent companies of most of East Tennessee’s other hospitals are warning that a coronavirus surge could mean that elective surgeries or procedures would be limited. Many such procedures were limited during the early part of the pandemic. The statewide count for new COVID-19 cases reached a daily high on Friday with more than 3,600 positive cases reported, according to a news release from the hospitals.

"Although pandemic restrictions have eased, we should still be vigilant about COVID-19 and be mindful of ways to slow the spread. It is still a good idea to practice regular hand hygiene — either by washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizers — and wear a mask if you are in crowded spaces," Panezich concluded.

Resources such as vaccine information and testing options in Anderson County may be found at the Anderson County Health Department website at achealthdept.org.

Across Tennessee

Confirmed COVID-19 infections have increased slightly statewide, according to the state Health Department. The Tennessean newspaper reported Wednesday that the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 continues to rise. The department reported that there are now 752 such patients, compared to 706 the prior week.

Tennessee again reported a modest increase in the percentage of people getting tested for COVID-19 who are positive for it.

Statewide, that percentage was 29.57%, up from 28.2% the previous week.

State public health agencies have counted nearly 2.19 million cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee since the start of the pandemic. Statewide, 26,947 people have died as a result of the novel coronavirus.

About 55.1% of Tennesseans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC. The national average is 67.2%.

Donna Smith can be contacted at dsmith@oakridger.com or (865) 220-5514. Follow her on Twitter @ridgerednewsed. Frank Gluck, the health care reporter, for The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, contributed to this story.

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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Most of area in 'high' zone for community transmission of COVID