Virus Cases Rise by 187 In A Return to Normal
New virus case numbers rose by 187 over the last 24 hours, putting the total of all positive cases in Shelby County since March at 40,868.
The new total adjusts to real cases here. The new-case total has been off-kilter for more than a week with a low total of 17 one day last week to a near-record 691 cases reported Tuesday. The erratic figures came as Tennessee Department of Health officials updated some computer software. The figures were expected to return to normal today.
Total current active cases of the virus — the number people known to have COVID-19 in the county — dropped slightly to 3,200 Wednesday. Though, the figure peaked above 2,000 only three weeks ago. The figure had been as low as 1,299 in September. The new active case count represents 8.2 percent of all cases of the virus reported here since March.
The Shelby County Health Department reported that 1,786 tests were given the last 24 hours. Tests here now total 590,710. This figure includes multiple tests given to some people.
The latest weekly positivity rate rose slightly from the last time the figure was reported. The average rate of positive tests for the week of October 25th was 8.8 percent. That’s up over the 8.6 percent rate recorded for the week of October 18th. The new weekly average rate is the highest since mid-August, just as cases began to fall from a mid-July spike that had a weekly average positive rate of 12.7 percent. The new weekly positive average marks the fifth straight week that the rate has climbed.
Total deaths rose by five in the last 24 hours and now stand at 594. The average age of those who have died here is 73, according to the health department. The age of the youngest COVID-19 death was 13. The oldest to die from the virus here was 100.
There are 7,960 contacts in quarantine.
