(PARIS, TN) – With the Thanksgiving holiday COVID-19 surge hitting many areas of the state, numbers here in Henry County have been steady with 186 new positive cases this past week reported by the Tennessee State Department of Health.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continues to remain moderate here locally. Henry County Medical Center reported 10 county COVID-19 inpatients and 2 positive out-of-county inpatients on Thursday. The County COVID-19 related death toll now stands at 24 up from 21 last week. COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in Tennessee and 19 other states according to the Center for Disease Control.
Henry County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway is extending the county masking requirement for another seven days through December 19th. Mayor Ridgeway said, “The Henry County community has spiked up to 26.43 average new cases per day for the past seven days. This continues to be greater than the average of Tennessee. Sadly, there are now 24 Henry County families who have been impacted by the death of a loved one to the COVID-19 virus. This loss stretches across our county as many of us know the lost one, their family and their friends.”
“In the next couple of weeks, we should all be excited about the glorious Christmas holiday season. From lights to packages, children should be excited. However, because of the COVID-19 virus, we must continue to be mindful of our families and our neighbors. The glory and merriment that we usually feel across the county is now a cautious trip to get groceries, children on computers for far too long each day and slow traffic to any kind of fun activity. Yes we have all been impacted and may continue if we are not very positive and take all the precautions. Therefore I am extending the masking requirement for this next week and encourage you to wear these in support of the many families who have lost loved ones. Remember wear your mask, wash your hands, social distance, stay home as much as possible, watch the fun Christmas movies and be thankful for our wonderful hospital and medical staff. They are helping keep us safe in these uncertain times. Let’s do our part to be SMART AND CAUTIOUS.”
The Henry County Health Dept continues to provide free COVID testing Monday – Friday from 8:30AM to 10:30 AM by appointment only. Over the past seven days, the county averaged 77 tests per day with a 26.7% positivity rate and is reporting 183 active cases in our community.
