Gov. Bill Lee says the increase came from Thanksgiving gatherings.
Tennessee government Bill Lee had a serious message to his constituents on Sunday: Avoid vacation gatherings and travel.
The state has become “ground zero” in the latest wave of coronavirus cases sweeping across the country, he noted.
Tennessee has registered 65,382 new COVID-19 cases in the past seven days and is leading the nation in cases per 100,000, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lee, who is going into quarantine after his wife tested positive for the virus over the weekend, said the increase in cases and hospital admissions was driven by Thanksgiving rallies.
“Tennessee is ground zero for an increase in disease rates,” Lee said at a news conference.
The state has 13,745 hospital admissions for the coronavirus, 6,071 deaths and more than 519,000 confirmed cases as of Dec. 20, according to the Tennessee Health Department.
From December 1 to December 20, the seven-day average of new daily cases rose from 4,703 to 9,025 and the seven-day average of new daily deaths rose from 37 to 86, according to health data.
Lee warned that the next few weeks will be critical for the state, and while the rollout of the first two COVID-19 vaccines will help stop the rise in the number of cases, residents still needed to pay attention to health warnings to ensure that state health systems do not exist. t pushed to the edge.
“Tennessee cannot sustain a similar wave after Christmas or New Years,” he said.
Lee signed an executive order limiting indoor public gatherings to 10 people. Attendance at indoor sports events was also scaled back. However, the governor did not issue a statewide mask mandate. Instead, he encouraged voters to wear face covers of their own accord.
“The government cannot do this alone,” said Lee. “We are in a cold, brutal phase of this pandemic. It will get worse before it gets better. I know you’re tired, but we have to double. ‘