New Virus Cases Rise by 298
New virus case numbers rose by 298 over the last 24 hours. The new total puts the total of all positive cases in Shelby County since March at 49,929.
Total current active cases of the virus — the number of people known to have COVID-19 in the county — fell slightly to 3,382. The figure had been as low as 1,299 in September and rose above 2,000 in October. The new active case count represents 6.8 percent of all cases of the virus reported here since March.
The Shelby County Health Department reported 1,749 tests have been given in the last 24 hours. Since March, 682,364 tests have been given. This figure includes multiple tests given to some people.
The latest weekly positivity rate fell from the last time the figure was reported, the first time the number has dropped in seven weeks. The average rate of positive tests for the week of November 15th was 10.3 percent, lower than the 11.2 percent rate recorded for the week of November 8th. The new weekly average rate is roughly the same as late July.
Shelby-County-area hospitals fluctuated back into the red zone of capacity on Friday morning. The county uses a green, yellow, and red system for measuring utilization. Hospitals here have switched between the red and yellow zones in some key areas this week. The number of acute-care beds and the number if Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds are both now in the red level, indicating a low number of such beds at hospitals here.
Area hospitals suspended elective surgeries Monday in a move to make more health care facilities available for COVID-19 patients. Hospitals in the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare System allowed them again this week, according to The Commercial Appeal.
Six new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours and the number now stands at 689. The average age of those who have died in Shelby County is 73, according to the health department. The age of the youngest COVID-19 death was 13. The oldest to die from the virus is now 101 after a recent death.
There are 8,302 contacts in quarantine.
