Coronavirus cases up 39% in Shelby County from past week

By , Daily Memphian Updated: April 16, 2020 11:23 AM CT | Published: April 16, 2020 11:08 AM CT

Based on Shelby County Health Department figures released Thursday morning, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Shelby County increased by 39% since April 10.

Shelby County, as of Thursday, April 16, 2020 has 1,508 confirmed coronavirus cases and 32 deaths from 15,667 tests taken, according to health department data.


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While there has been an increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, testing and deaths in Shelby County – data shows the rise in numbers fluctuating as uncertainty continues over the pandemic.

There were 425 additional confirmed cases between April 10 (1,083) and April 16 (1,508) – reflecting that 39% increase. That is an average of about 60 new cases per day, according to county health department statistics.

City and county officials expect coronavirus cases in Shelby County to peak between mid-May and early-June, according to the latest models.

The largest single-day increase of confirmed cases during the past week was a jump of 82 cases to 1,351 on April 14.

The second highest spike over that same period was the 1,432 reported cases April 15 – an increase of 81 from the 1,351 reported the previous day.

The lowest increase in new cases reported was April 13 when the case number increased by 53 (1,216 to 1,269).

That three-day period is a narrative of the ebb and flow of the daily numbers.

On testing, Shelby County health officials have administered 3,722 tests from April 10 to Thursday. That’s an average of 531 a day. The county’s COVID-19 task force hopes to nearly double that figure to 1,000 per day and is adding testing sites throughout the county in hopes of reaching that milestone.

This does not mean that 3,722 additional people have been tested, as someone can be tested for the virus multiple times. The highest number of tests reported in one day was 737 on April 14, while the lowest of additional tests reported in one day was 343 on April 12.

Recoveries from the virus have steadily increased in Shelby County, the number currently standing at 349 as of Wednesday, according to the state. This continues the recent uptick from 292 and 236 from the previous two state Department of Health updates.

The state’s Health Department defines a “recovered” person as someone confirmed to be asymptomatic by the local or regional health department and have completed their self-isolation period or has gone at least 21 days beyond the first test confirming they have coronavirus.

Deaths in Shelby County due to complications from coronavirus has increased from 23 to 32 from April 9 to April 15.

Two days in that period, April 11 and 12, there were no new reported deaths. Though at least one death was reported each day since Monday, the highest daily total was two on April 14.

According to the latest figures from the state’s Health Resource Tracking System, 137 people are currently hospitalized in Memphis hospitals with COVID-19. Another 95 are hospitalized while under investigation for having the virus as of Tuesday, April 14.

Of the 137 with coronavirus, 93 were in acute care and 44 were intensive case with 21 on ventilators. As for the cases under investigation, 73 were in acute care and 22 in intensive care with 10 on ventilators.

In Tennessee, confirmed cases have reached the 6,000 mark – 6,079 – as of Wednesday with 135 deaths.

That’s an increase of 1,451 cases and 41 deaths compared to the numbers from April 9 – one week prior.

There have been 2,196 recoveries statewide and 663 hospitalizations due to the virus. That’s an increase of 1,275 recoveries and 158 hospitalizations from a week ago.

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Topics

COVID-19 testing coronavirus Shelby County Health Department Tennessee Department of Health
Omer Yusuf

Omer 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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