Overton Positive Test Rate Increase, 561 Cases

Overton County’s positive test rate has reached 15 percent over the last seven days.

That’s double the state average. County Executive Ben Danner said the climbing number of cases is a concern.

“Seems like all the counties around us are falling off,” Danner said. “Now, only Cumberland, Putnam and Warren County have more active cases than us. That is why the governor’s office is calling Overton County a hot spot, because everybody else seems to be dropping off in numbers, and we are not.”

Danner said he has seen fewer residents wearing masks as time has passed. Overton County has 561 positive COVID cases total with 90 currently active.

This is an increase of 230 cases in a three week span. Overton County Health Director Andy Langford said the increase is the natural progression of a virus.

“We are at the point now where we do not know and can not pin point exactly where every case comes from,” Langford said. “That is the problem you get to when you hit community spread. At this point, we have hit it in Overton County.”

Langford said the county has averaged 11 positive cases daily over the last 28 days. County Executive Ben Danner said the climbing number of cases is a concern.

Danner said he will still not mandate face coverings but encourages people to continue to practice COVID guidelines.

“White County has been way ahead of us on number of cases this whole time,” Danner said. “But now, we have more active cases then White County does, as of yesterday. Macon County had almost 1,000 cases and had several more (active cases) than us, but now, we have more then twice than what they got. It is not over by any means.”