Coronavirus cases and deaths rise in Hamilton County

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – “This virus is unpredictable. We don’t have anything other than social distancing and contact tracing, really, to effectively fight it,” Hamilton County Health Administrator Becky Barnes said.

The Hamilton County Health Department reports two coronavirus deaths bringing the total to 15.

Health officials said one Hispanic person and one non-Hispanic person died.

One of them in the 80 plus age group.

The other in the 50 to 60 age range.

Both had underlying medical conditions.

“Our condolences go out to their families. These deaths remind us that this virus is both highly communicable and deadly. Again everyone should take seriously every social distancing precaution we have previously discussed,” Barnes said.

While folks celebrated the Memorial Day weekend, cases went up by 163.

By zip code, 37407 was hit the hardest with 37 new cases.

In total, there have been over 700 cases.

“These increased numbers represent both an increase in testing, but clearly a continued increase in spread,” Barnes said.

Businesses have been reopening for multiple weeks now.

And, According to the health department, they get 12 to 15 COVID-related complaints a week of restaurants.

They said most businesses have been cooperative.

But, despite the rise of cases and deaths, the county has not backtracked in allowing businesses to reopen.

“Even if you shutdown at some point you have to open up again and then at some point you’re still at the point where we have to follow those social distancing measures, because that really is all we have,” Barnes said.

While deaths and cases have increased, so has testing.

Out of the over 14,000 tested, 95 percent did not have the virus.