Only 15 ICU Beds Open In Area Hospitals
New virus case numbers rose by 893 over the last 24 hours, one of the highest single-day increases on record. The new total puts the total of all positive cases in Shelby County since March at 56,820.
Total current active cases of the virus — the number of people known to have COVID-19 in the county — surged above 5,000 for the first time Tuesday morning to 5,434. There were 3,311 active cases on Friday morning. The figure had been as low as 1,299 in September and rose above 2,000 in October. The new active case count represents 9.6 percent of all cases of the virus reported here since March.
The Shelby County Health Department reported 8,446 tests were given in the last 24 hours. Total tests given here since March now total 742,007. This figure includes multiple tests given to some people.
Area hospitals are again straining with high patient numbers. As of Tuesday, there were 2,147 patients in acute care beds here, putting occupancy rates at 91 percent, according to the latest data from the health department. Of those patients, 357 were COVID-positive. Only 206 acute care beds were available Tuesday morning. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds were 97 percent full with only 15 beds available. Of the 436 patients in ICU beds now, 154 are COVID-positive.
The latest weekly positivity rate fell slightly one week after a record high. The average positive of test results for the week of November 29th was 12.1 percent. That’s down from the record 13 percent for the week of November 22nd.
Nine new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours and the number now stands at 752. 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 person to die from the virus was 101.
There are 8,378 contacts in quarantine.
