Coronavirus: Shelby County adds more than 530 new cases, 13 deaths
Christ Community Health Services staff members collect nasal swabs during coronavirus testing in September at the Orange Mound Health Center. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
The Shelby County Health Department reported 537 new coronavirus cases and 13 additional virus-related deaths Saturday, Jan. 23.
The 537 COVID-19 cases reported Saturday resulted from 5,804 tests, yielding a 9.3% positivity rate. That’s the highest daily increase in new cases since 535 additional COVID-19 cases were reported Jan. 16.
Active cases in Shelby County stand at 5,076, a decline from the 5,170 reported Friday.
Since March, the Health Department has reported 79,925 total coronavirus cases and 1,182 deaths, classifying 73,667 cases as inactive/recovered.
A total of 919,992 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Shelby County, yielding an 10% positivity rate.
There were 490 COVID-19 patients in Memphis-area hospitals as of 5 p.m. Thursday, the latest data available, according to Tennessee’s Healthcare Resource Tracking System. The Health Department will provide weekend hospital data in its Monday update.
Hospital capacity for ICU beds is at 94% use, and acute care beds are at 88% occupancy. The number of area ICU beds available is 26 with 279 acute care beds open.
Bed capacity is calculated by subtracting beds occupied by patients, unstaffed beds and beds that are otherwise unavailable.
Of the 490 people hospitalized, 145 are in intensive care unit beds, with 345 in acute care beds.
Those who are COVID-positive or suspected of having the virus represent 38% of ICU patients and 19% of acute care patients.
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coronavirus Shelby County Health Department Tennessee Healthcare Resource Tracking SystemOmer Yusuf
Omer Yusuf covers Bartlett and North Memphis neighborhoods for The Daily Memphian. He also analyzes COVID-19 data each week. Omer is a former Jackson Sun reporter and University of Memphis graduate.
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