News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Overton County’s daily COVID case number has increased to 16.4 new cases reported per day over the last two weeks and 199 active cases.
The previous two-weeks the new case number was 15.1 per day.
During Friday’s COVID conference at Livingston City Hall, Overton County Health Department Supervisor Megan Reeder said the positivity rate for the last seven days is 18.6 percent. Overton County Executive Ben Danner said he has concerns over the numbers being this high as people start the holiday season.
“It’s just really alarming, I think a lot of people, the longer it’s went in the small communities, they’re not taking it serious and I mean, it is serious,” Danner said. “When we’re getting 15, 16 people per day infected, I mean it’s just really bad numbers and I just hope everybody this holiday season looks at that and maybe cancels get-togethers.”
Danner said if anyone in Overton County feels sick this holiday to stay home, even if you want to be a part of Thanksgiving or Christmas. Danner said he still does not see a mask mandate as an option because he believes people react better to being asked than being forced to wear a mask.
“I remember when this first happened we talked like if we ever got to 100 cases total we might talk about that but now we’re at 1,100 and something cases,” Danner said. “Right now I feel like a mask mandate is not at all what I… I’m not interested at all in doing a mask mandate.”
As Overton County moves into the holiday season, that time of year also brings on the flu season. Reeder said the Overton County Health Department is offering free flu shots to hopefully get more people protected.
“We didn’t know in the beginning if a person could be co-infected, which means have both viruses at the same time,” Reeder said. “We have learned that yes, you may very well have both viruses at the same time.”
Reeder said during the conference that the youngest person to be infected with COVID is a 6-month year old. The next conference is scheduled for November 13.
