News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
COVID positivity rates stand at 17 percent or higher in all the counties of the Upper Cumberland Monday.
The State Department of Health showed the highest positivity rate in Fentress County with 32 percent of tests coming back positive. 145 tests reported Monday with 47 testing positive. Smith County reported a 30 percent positivity rate.
Six additional counties reported positivity rates above 20 percent, including White (28.4%), Van Buren (26.7%), Pickett (26.1%), Putnam (25.8%), Warren (24.8%), and Overton (23.5%).
Clay (19.7%), Cumberland (17.5%) and Jackson (18.8%) also saw double-digit rates. The positivity rate shows the number of positives results among tests given to note the spread of COVID. CDC guidance calls for the rate to be below ten percent.
A total of 422 new COVID cases reported across the region Monday. State Department of Health data showed 126 new cases in Putnam County Monday.
Five COVID deaths over the weekend at Cookeville Regional Medical Center bringing the pandemic death toll to 94. The state death toll passed 5,000 Monday.
According to Public Relations Director Melahn Finley, 53 patients are currently being treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Health officials said any surge from the Thanksgiving holidays would likely not begin to show up until this week. One local official said the past several days had shown lower results than expected meaning the data might not be caught up from last week.
