Hamilton County COVID-19 cases on the rise

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Masks are our best friends. | Pexels

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Mornin’, Nooga. 👋 Trista here, and I have some bleak news — June is the deadliest month for COVID-19 in Hamilton County. The health department just announced the 29th death, and this time it was a Hispanic girl under the age of 10 with no underlying health conditions.

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Chart of cases + deaths in Chattanooga | Screenshot NYTimes

It’s so easy to think life is “back to normal,” but according to health officials, we are not out of the woods yet. In fact, NOOGAtoday editors + interns are returning to a work-from-home setup as cases continue to rise.

Fast Facts

In Hamilton County, there have been 32,470 COVID-19 tests.

Of the 32,470, there are 2,209 confirmed positive cases.

There are 30,261 negative* cases.

Of the positive cases, 970 have recovered.

There are 29 reported deaths.

*These numbers may include negative results outside of Hamilton County, and there is also a delay in reporting negative results.

Precautions you can take

Understand how it spreads. COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact (think 6 ft or two arm’s length), when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks — respiratory droplets can be inhaled by or land in the mouths + noses of anyone nearby.

○ Wear a mask properly. A cloth face covering or medical mask should be over the mouth AND nose. When wearing a mask, you shouldn’t pull it down to talk, sneeze, or cough.

○ Stay home and only leave the house for essentials or to exercise outdoors. When you leave the house, it’s highly recommended to wear a mask.

○ Wash your hands often + use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands.

○ Clean + disinfect surfaces you + others touch frequently, like desks, door handles, and phones.

○ Know the symptoms — fever/chills, coughing, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, sore throat, and others. The NOOGAtoday team checks our temperatures often.

COVID-19 carrier (1)

The best way to prevent the spread is to wear a mask. | NOOGAtoday

Resources

The City of Chattanooga has an FAQ page for all your COVID-19 questions.

The Hamilton County Health Department Facebook is updated frequently.

The CDC has a lot of information, from what to do if you test positive, ways to stay safe, and how to handle stress + coping.

Our local resource guide is here.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press has taken down their paywall for COVID-19 related content. You will have to create a free account.

The Chattanooga Chamber has a list of personal protective equipment (PPE) resources.

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