Someone with health insurance from their employer could pay $1,300 or more out of pocket for treatment if theyre hospitalized with a severe case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to one analysis. Health researchers based that prediction off of the costs associated with hospitalization for pneumonia.
The thought is, how we treat pneumonia is going to look at lot like how we treat the coronavirus, said Matthew Rae, associate director for the Program on the Health Care Marketplace at the Kaiser Family Foundation, who worked on the analysis. Both are respiratory illnesses.
Rae and his co-authors analyzed a database of insurance claims for people enrolled in employer insurance plans. They found that the total cost of treatments for people on those insurance plans who were hospitalized with severe pneumonia with complications was, on average, around $20,000 though it ranged from around $11,000 to around $24,000. Insurers covered most of that cost, but the out-of-pocket expense for most people usually reached or exceeded $1,300.
The analysis, though, only captured the costs associated with an insurance plan. It doesnt capture out-of-network billing charges, Rae says also known as surprise medical bills, which can happen when a doctor who isnt in a patients insurance network stops by to see the patient. Around 18 percent of people with severe pneumonia end up with a surprise medical bill.
The costs for pneumonia treatment may not map exactly onto the costs for COVID-19 treatment. It doesnt include the costs of protective equipment and isolation, for instance. Those things will make it more expensive, Rae says. Its hard to estimate those costs, he says, because there isnt much data in insurance claims databases that includes them.
This analysis would only apply to patients who are insured through employer plans, which tend to have low deductibles and be fairly generous. People insured with Affordable Care Act plans may face different out-of-pocket costs, Rae says. It could really range, he says. But I wouldnt say that it would be magnitudes different.
For people who arent insured, though, the cost could be significantly higher. Around 8 percent of people in the US dont have insurance.
Policies and legislation enacted in response to the pandemic might affect costs of COVID-19 treatments. Insurance companies agreed to waive co-pays for testing, and the bill currently before Congress includes free testing, regardless of insurance status. The White House originally said that insurance companies would cover the cost of treatment in full, but the insurance lobby clarified that they would not be doing so. The insurance companies also said there would not be surprise medical bills associated with COVID-19 treatment, but Rae says its not clear how that would work because those charges are made by hospitals and doctors.
Its all an open question, he says. Were just trying to take our best guess right now.
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CHICAGO Gov. JB Pritzker announced the first COVID-19 related death in Illinois Tuesday.
"I'm deeply saddened to share the news that I have dreaded since the earliest days of this outbreak," Pritzker said at a news conference.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified the patient as Patricia Frieson, 61, of Chicago. She died late Monday night at theUniversity of ChicagoMedicalCenter.
Pritzker said the woman did have an underlying health condition, but she was not a resident at a nursing home. She did have contact with another COVID-19
Illinois health officials reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Tuesday. In total, there are now 160 cases of COVID-19 in 15 Illinois counties. Cases have occurred in ages 9 to 91.
Late Tuesday, Pritzker activated 60 service members from the Illinois National Guard.
Among those new cases, Pritzker said testing revealed an outbreak among the residents and staff of a private long-term facility in DuPage County.
On Saturday, a woman at Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook tested positive for coronavirus, so all residents and staff were tested. Testing revealed 22 positive confirmed cases, including 18 residents and 4 staff members.
All of the individuals who have tested positive are now isolated at the facility or at a hospital, and visitors are now restricted, Pritzker said.
Some of the residents have been transferred to area hospitals
An employee who works on the eighth floor of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a letter sent to building occupants Tuesday, U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said she is not closing the building but that extensive cleaning is planned. The employee was last in the building Thursday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also confirmed a Chicago Fire Department paramedic tested positive for COVID-19 and is now quarantined, the first case among the city's first responders.
Chicago health officials said they do not believe the paramedic contracted the virus during a service call, and that they are doing well at home.
That individual's close contacts are in quarantine, and the city is sanitizing the station where this individual worked and screening employees there.
Pritzker put the heat on the federal government again, demanding a rapid increase in testing kits.
"I've requested, and now I'm demanding, the White House, FDA and CDC produce rapid increase in test deployment or get out of the way and allow us to obtain them elsewhere ourselves," he said.
Tuesday is the first day of school closures, as well as on-site dining at restaurants and bars. As far as the financial impact, Pritzker said there is a moratorium on utility bills, and he is working to expand medicaid and ease the requirements for WIC and SNAP food access.
He also issued a statewide economic injury declaration, allowing small business owners to apply for coronavirus assistance loans.
At first blush, it seems like the coronavirus pandemic is shutting down the economy everywhere, equally, with frightening force and totality. In many respects, thats true: Across the country, consumer spendingwhich supports 70% of the economyis crashing in community after community, as people avoid stores, restaurants, movie theaters, offices, and other public places. Already, the layoffs have begun, with reports coming in from both big cities including Seattle and Atlanta as well as small heartland towns.
But as recession forecasts proliferate, its not necessarily true that all areas will be hit equally hard. In a huge nation made up of diverse places and varied local economies, a look at the geography of highly exposed industries makes clear that the economic toll of any coming recession will hit different regions in disparate, uneven ways.
To illustrate this, we mapped the employment geography of an array of industries vulnerable to disruption by virus-related demand declines, shutdowns, and layoffs.
To do this, we used an identification of the most at risk industry groups included in the recent (and quite dire) research note from Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys. Zandi composed a list of five especially vulnerable sectors: mining/oil and gas, transportation, employment services, travel arrangements, and leisure and hospitality. With this list in hand, we mapped those industries presence as a share of the economy within the nations various metropolitan areas.
Add the numbers up and the gargantuan scale of the current problem emerges. More than 24.2 million Americans work in the five high-risk sectors facing a sharp slowdown. This will likely prompt significant work disruptions, furloughs, and other uncertainties in the coming months.
But what do we find on a metro-area level? The most affected places are a whos who of energy towns and major resort, leisure, and amusement destinations across the nation.
The most exposed metro area nationwide is the oil-and-gas town of Midland, Texas, with 42% of its workforce in high-risk industries. Other major energy producers such as Odessa and Laredo, Texas as well as Houma-Thibodaux, La. also land in the top 10 most affected.
The numbers also underscore the massive size of the nations reeling leisure and hospitality sector. Kahului, Hawaii, Atlantic City, N.J., and Las Vegas all fall into the top five most recession-vulnerable metro areas, each with more than a third of their workforce in industries threatened by coronavirus-related uncertainties. Other noteworthy affected tourist destinations across the U.S. include Ocean City, N.J., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Flagstaff, Ariz., and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Alabama.
The same pattern holds across larger cities. Among the nations 100 largest metro areas, Las Vegas is most exposed, followed by Orlando, Fla., the theme park capital of the country. Rounding out the top five in this group are New Orleans, which has ties to both the energy and tourism/hospitality sectors, Honolulu, and Oklahoma City.
On the other end of the spectrum, the metro areas positioned to be least directly affected by COVID-19 are a diverse group consisting of older, manufacturing-heavy industrial cities, agricultural towns, and some already-distressed places. Agriculture communities Madera, Calif. and Yakima, Wash. are the two least exposed metro areas nationwide, with less than 10% of their workforce in affected industries. Elkhart-Goshen, Ind., the RV capital of the world, rounds out the top three, however its numbers may belie potential manufacturing sector exposure from increased automation, which tends to concentrate in economic downturns.
Among the 100 largest metro areas, the economically safest are mostly tech-oriented university towns. Provo, Utah is the least exposed, followed by Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., Hartford, Conn., Albany, N.Y., and San Jose, Calif.
From these lists, we can see that the places most vulnerable to immediate, short-term economic shocks from COVID-19 are geographically varied, but with common industry themes. But because the variations are driven by the nations enormous leisure sector in particular, our map provides only an initial glance at which places are going to be affected. In the event that the pandemic tips the economy into a significant nationwide recession, very few places or industries will emerge unscathed. And if that happens, other large sectorsincluding construction, manufacturing, retail, education, and even the motion picture industrywill be affected regardless of geography.
This suggests an important takeaway for policymakers: While essentially all of America will likely be affected by COVID-19s economic effects, those effects will be distinct and varied from place-to-place. Given that, we must not only act quickly, but also attend to the unique regional and local impacts within this national crisis.
Retired or not fully qualified nurses and other medical staff could be called in to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, and given protection against any negligence claims, among a sweeping range of measures planned under emergency legislation.
Another possible power would allow police or immigration officers to detain a person for a limited but unspecified period if they might be infectious and to take them to a suitable place to enable screening and assessment.
The laws, expected to be introduced to the Commons on Thursday, will also give ministers the power to ban gatherings or events and temporarily close schools and colleges in the effort to curb the spread the virus.
An outline of the planned new laws, released on Tuesday evening, says the measures will be time-limited to two years and will not all come into force immediately, allowing the UK and devolved governments to switch on these new powers when they are needed.
It adds: The measures in the coronavirus bill are temporary, proportionate to the threat we face, will only be used when strictly necessary and be in place for as long as required to respond to the situation.
A key change would be to allow medical regulators to create emergency registrations for suitable people to become nurses, midwives or paramedics, such as those who have recently retired and students near the end of their training. The document does not mention doctors in relation to this.
They would be given indemnity for clinical negligence liabilities arising from NHS activities linked to the coronavirus outbreak, where none was in place.
Measures to encourage returnees would include suspending a rule that stops some NHS staff who return after retirement from working more than 16 hours per week, ensuring they do not lose out under pensions.
Other measures are intended to help ease pressures on NHS staff, such as changing mental health legislation so people seen as being a risk to themselves or others can be forced to have treatment on the opinion of just one doctor, not two.
Time limits as to when such people must be allowed to leave will also be extended or removed as needed.
Also, the obligation on some councils in England and Wales to provide certain statutory social care services could be eased to ensure the most urgent and serious care needs are met, even if this means not meeting everyones assessed needs in full or delaying some assessments.
While government guidance on avoiding pubs, bars and other crowded places is now voluntary, the new laws will allow the government to restrict or prohibit events and gatherings during the pandemic in any place, and to temporarily close educational establishments and childcare providers.
Another possible power would allow ministers to close ports or airports if too many Border Force staff are off sick. Others will expand the use of video and audio links in court proceedings.
A notably gloomy section is connected to the expectation of a rise in deaths, with one allowing a greater range of people, among them funeral directors, to register a death for the family.
A final part gives the power to extend statutory sick pay to all days off work, as promised by ministers.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said any new measures will only be used when it is absolutely necessary and must be timed to maximise their effectiveness, but crucially they give the government the powers it needs to protect lives.
He added: By planning for the worst and working for the best we will get through this, but this is a national effort and we must all work together from businesses prioritising the welfare of their employees, to people thoroughly washing their hands.
The federal health department says it sees merit in a newly developed rapid Covid-19 testing kit able to return results within 15 minutes, which experts say could help relieve significant pressure on pathology services.
Australias chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, has warned the country faces extreme pressure supplying enough testing kits as the rate of infection continues to skyrocket, warning last week that the number of pathology testing kits, reagents and swabs was deteriorating rapidly with some regions now completely out of supplies.
The government has so far refused to say how many testing kits remain in the country, although the health minister, Greg Hunt, said on Tuesday the supply was sufficient for current requirements.
As the virus spread in Wuhan, Chinese researchers developed a more rapid point of care screening test, which detects antibodies that emerge some time after Covid-19 symptoms appear. A study in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Virology said the test could return results within 15 minutes, much faster than the current standard testing.
The test known as the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Kit is not currently in use in Australia, but the Guardian understands some companies are seeking to supply it onto the market.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the rapid test had merit and that there were no compelling reasons not to use it based on the described science and methodology.
But she said the company behind it, the Nantong Egens Biotechnology Company Ltd, had not yet approached the regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, for assessment and approval.
Such a device would need to be approved through the TGAs in-vitro diagnostics regulatory scheme before use, the department said.
The company has had the test validated by laboratories in Europe and China. But the spokeswoman said the same would need to occur in Australia.
Tests also require validation by testing laboratories in the Australian context before use, she said.
The Department of Health, in collaboration with the Public Health Laboratory Network, is monitoring the development of test kits and methodologies and their performance as they are used more widely around the world.
In Australia, a company called COVID-19 Rapid is representing three manufacturers seeking to get TGA approval for the rapid tests. A company spokesman said: Our TGA consultants have told us that unlike the US and Europe, securing approval will take too long and be very expensive.
Experts approached by the Guardian said the testing had potential benefits and drawbacks. The testing does not require a laboratory, which could help alleviate pressure on Australias pathology services and the rest of the health system.
Peter White, a virologist from the University of New South Wales, said if it were possible for rapid tests to be used by people at home it would help take the burden off an already strained health system.
These tests will be useful for sure, they could keep infected people out of the health system and they do also provide peace of mind, he said.
There are certainly some advantages. If someone thinks they have the virus and can do the test at home in 15 minutes thats someone who isnt presenting at a hospital, GP or pathology lab.
Even if you received a false positive, if you were able to take the precaution of having it backed up with [a traditional test] it would be good. If people received a negative result, they might be less inclined to visit the clinic which is going to free up hospital resources.
But, he stressed, the tests were not always as reliable as those currently being used in Australia. Because rapid test kits look for antibodies associated with the virus rather than the virus itself, they could record false-negatives if used at the wrong time.
The question is how significant those limitations are. It depends really on how many true cases you detect. Does it detect every positive, or does it miss 5%? he said
Because if you have to back up every test with a lab pathology test it might defeat the purpose a little bit.
Bill Bowtell, an infectious diseases expert from the Kirby Institute, said while there was no shortage of medical supply companies looking to profit off the Covid-19 crisis, the TGA would need to consider the kits closely.
In the end, anybody with anything to sell is in the market and their interest is to make the biggest claims, he said.
I think thats the case with a lot of the things that well see coming onto the market. Theres uncertainty because it didnt come to market after stringent testing, it came to the market because theres a feeling of my god we need it.
In normal circumstances you wouldnt touch it with a barge pole but this is what happens when theres a crisis.
Mark Gallagher, a consultant cardiologist, is at home with a temperature of 38 and is pretty certain he has Covid-19. But the NHS will not test him for it. Instead, he has paid for a test kit from a private UK clinic and a colleague in China is sending him another.
Gallagher has been in and out of his London hospital every day for the last 28 in a row. In the past couple of weeks he saw maybe 70 people in outpatients, he said.
He cannot understand why the NHS will not test him or other healthcare workers who are put at risk by their work and risk infecting other vulnerable patients in turn, as well as their families. The policy is that I dont need to be tested and even the people who have been in contact with me arent going to be tested, he said.
They are abandoning the basic principles for dealing with an epidemic, which are to test whenever possible, trace contacts and contain. Almost all individual physicians I know feel that what they are doing is wrong.
Last week, a woman of 79 was admitted to his care for an elective, non-urgent procedure. She was then diagnosed with Covid-19, which, he says, she almost certainly acquired on our wards. She was put on a ventilator but died on Monday night.
Im sure she will go down as an elderly patient with underlying conditions, but she should have lived to 90, he said. Approximately 50 nurses dealt with her and many doctors. None has been tested. All are still at work.
Gallagher says he needs to know whether he has Covid-19. Of the colleague in China who is sending him a test kit, he says: He runs a similar unit to ours. They had to shut half the hospital for six weeks and make it a Covid-19 hospital, but for the last two weeks they are up pretty much as normal.
Except, he says, that every patient scheduled to come in is tested first for Covid-19. If the test is negative as these days it usually is they will be admitted after a second negative test on arrival. They went through a total lockdown and they tested and tracked the contacts of every single suspected case and tested them as well. Thats how you kill an epidemic, he said.
Although the self-isolation policies announced by the prime minister on Monday were a slight improvement, Gallagher feels they are not enough. It could be eliminated if we worked really hard, but there is a policy of surrender, he said.
Our in-house occupational health and infection control teams are competent and hard-working and the infection control people have been at excellent and brave, circulating on the affected wards, he said.
The problem is the instructions coming out of Public Health England and the government, which is attempting to control the UK epidemic by mathematical modelling.
Any such model is only as good as the input data, and the data going into this one are not necessarily applicable to the UK being based on countries with very different behaviour patterns, he said. They are also solely intended to flatten the curve, when even a flat curve will kill thousands. These approaches would be an acceptable experiment if there were no alternatives but we have strategies from elsewhere that have been shown to work.
We should be learning the lessons, he says, from the sharp lockdown in Hubei and the very energetic contact tracing that has taken place in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. The approach of the UK falls far short of that.
There have now been 11 coronavirus-related deaths in California. Among the people who have died is a woman who was a substitute teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The woman was identified as Gayle Alexis. KCRA3 reached out to her family, but they are not ready to speak publicly. Longtime friend Carolyn Tillman said Alexis was also an active member at Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood.The minister sent out an email Sunday evening," Tillman said. She was cheerful, upbeat, loved children -- a joy to be around -- and will just really be missed because of her positive attitude about life and the fact that she helped me with a childrens choir for quite a few years, (which) was just a real positive thing for me." Tillman said the two knew each other for more than 20 years at church, and that Alexis retired from Matsuyama Elementary in Sacramento and then continued as a substitute teacher.She certainly didnt need it for the income -- she did it because she loved children," Tillman said. "And she was doing it, at times I think, to help out a friend. Because she enjoyed the classroom and was good in the classroom. Although Sacramento City Unified would not directly confirm the identity of the substitute teacher who died, in a statement it said it became aware Wednesday of an individual who worked in a Sutterville Elementary classroom as a temporary volunteer. The district said a substitute teacher in February had tested positive for COVID-19. The school was disinfected immediately after the district was notified. On the churchs website, the pastor said that as of Saturday, five members of the church have tested positive for COVID-19 and that others were symptomatic, awaiting testing results. "To date, there have been a small number of confirmed positive cases in the congregation. Sadly, one of those has died," Faith Presbyterian Church said in a statement to KCRA3. "On March 12, Faith Presbyterian Church staff discovered that a small number of church members were displaying symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19. That evening, the church leadership met and made the immediate decision to close the church facility on Florin Road to prevent spread of the virus in our congregation and community."The church added it is closed until at least April 3. Its dismaying that testing is still so limited because based on those five (people), that probably every active church member should be tested," Tillman said. "Because who knows? I could be a carrier. So it would probably be reassuring to know that I am not carrying it, and therefore I am not risking my grandchildren carrying it to somebody else.
There have now been 11 coronavirus-related deaths in California. Among the people who have died is a woman who was a substitute teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
The woman was identified as Gayle Alexis. KCRA3 reached out to her family, but they are not ready to speak publicly.
Longtime friend Carolyn Tillman said Alexis was also an active member at Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood.
The minister sent out an email Sunday evening," Tillman said. She was cheerful, upbeat, loved children -- a joy to be around -- and will just really be missed because of her positive attitude about life and the fact that she helped me with a childrens choir for quite a few years, (which) was just a real positive thing for me."
Tillman said the two knew each other for more than 20 years at church, and that Alexis retired from Matsuyama Elementary in Sacramento and then continued as a substitute teacher.
Courtesy of Carolyn Tillman
She certainly didnt need it for the income -- she did it because she loved children," Tillman said. "And she was doing it, at times I think, to help out a friend. Because she enjoyed the classroom and was good in the classroom.
Although Sacramento City Unified would not directly confirm the identity of the substitute teacher who died, in a statement it said it became aware Wednesday of an individual who worked in a Sutterville Elementary classroom as a temporary volunteer. The district said a substitute teacher in February had tested positive for COVID-19. The school was disinfected immediately after the district was notified.
On the churchs website, the pastor said that as of Saturday, five members of the church have tested positive for COVID-19 and that others were symptomatic, awaiting testing results.
"To date, there have been a small number of confirmed positive cases in the congregation. Sadly, one of those has died," Faith Presbyterian Church said in a statement to KCRA3. "On March 12, Faith Presbyterian Church staff discovered that a small number of church members were displaying symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19. That evening, the church leadership met and made the immediate decision to close the church facility on Florin Road to prevent spread of the virus in our congregation and community."
The church added it is closed until at least April 3.
Its dismaying that testing is still so limited because based on those five (people), that probably every active church member should be tested," Tillman said. "Because who knows? I could be a carrier. So it would probably be reassuring to know that I am not carrying it, and therefore I am not risking my grandchildren carrying it to somebody else.
Housing associations are under pressure to offer rent holidays after only one pledged not to evict any tenant in arrears due to self-isolating because of the coronavirus.
Millions of people live in 2.4m homes let by housing associations across England, Scotland and Wales. Rents are expected to rise by 2.7% from next month and there are fears many people will be unable to pay after losing work or due to being in self-isolation.
The Labour party has urged the government to ban the eviction of tenants whose income has been hit by the outbreak and to allow rent deferrals. On Tuesday, the government said homeowners in financial difficulty due to coronavirus would be offered a three-month mortgage holiday.
However, those who live in housing association accommodation are more likely to work in the gig economy or have precarious contracts, with some out of work because of the impact of the pandemic.
Research by the homeless charity Crisis suggests there were more than 25,000 households evicted from housing associations in 2018, the lowest level since 2000, after a gradual exclusion of the poorest tenants from newly available properties.
The Guardian contacted scores of housing associations some of which describe themselves as companies with a heart but only one confirmed it would introduce measures to prevent the evictions of those who could not pay their bills because of Covid-19.
We will stay in regular contact and not initiate any action for rent arrears while they are experiencing difficulties as a result of the virus, said Sarah Sargent from Radian Group, which has 80,000 tenants across south and south-west England.
Our goal is always for our customers to maintain their tenancies and our tenancy sustainment team already provide support to customers.
Other large housing associations said they relied on rental income but were monitoring the situation closely amid business continuity planning, while others said they rarely evicted people.
Symptoms are defined as either:
NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms shouldstay at home for at least 7 days.
If you live with other people,they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine. But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start.Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days.
Information: If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.
If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
After 7 days, if you no longer have a high temperature you can return to your normal routine.
If you still have a high temperature, stay at home until your temperature returns to normal.
If you still have a cough after 7 days, but your temperature is normal, you do not need to continue staying at home. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.
Source:NHS Englandon 18 March 2020
A source with knowledge of discussions between housing associations regarding the scheduled rent increase said events were developing quickly and there was a concern people would not be able to pay rents at all. In 2017, the UKs housing associations made record operating profits of 3.5bn.
Crisis called on the government to ensure renters were not put at greater risk of eviction and homelessness.
Crisis is calling for a temporary suspension of evictions of both social and private tenants, said Matt Downie the charitys policy director. We are already seeing other countries implement such measures and urge the UK to take similar action as a matter of urgency.
We would expect all social landlords to adopt the practice of the best, and ensure tenants who experience loss of earnings because of the pandemic are supported so that they are not at risk of homelessness.
The G15 housing associations, which are responsible for about 600,000 homes in London, welcomed the extension of statutory sick pay 94 a week to include people advised to self-isolate because of Covid-19 and urged those ineligible to claim universal credit or employment support allowance.
We are continuing our rent collection processes as normal, which include significant support for tenants experiencing hardship for whatever reason, a spokesperson said. G15 housing associations only use evictions in the absolute last resort.
Chyrel Brown, the chief operating officer at One Housing, said: We will continue to collect rents as we rely on this income to deliver essential services. We always offer advice and support to residents who find it difficult to pay their rent and will continue to offer this vital support.
Simon Nunn, an executive director at the National Housing Federation, said: As charitable organisations [housing associations] are set up to support vulnerable residents and this includes helping those who may struggle financially by providing advice, help with budgeting and access to benefits.
Many are working to put additional measures in place to support residents that may fall into rent arrears to get back on their feet.
By ClarksvilleNow.com March 16, 2020 3:57 pm
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) The Tennessee Department of Health is now reporting 52 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state. The number of cases in Davidson and Williamson County continues to increase. There are still no reported cases in Montgomery County.
Campbell 1 (note: For those who may be un-aware there is a county in Tennessee named Campbell County)Davidson 25Hamilton 1Jefferson 1Knox 1Rutherford 1Sevier 1Shelby 2Sullivan 1Williamson 18
Governor Lee has asked all Tennessee schools to close as soon as possible. (Read more) Practicing social distancing is one way the CDC has recommended limiting the spread of the virus.
In response, ,any retailers have begun to limit their hours and events have been postponed to decrease large gatherings.
The Tennessee Department of Health has now released additional information regarding individuals who have contracted the virus.
Age Range | Number of CaseNull 235-18 years old 119 30 years old 631 40 years old 341 50 years old 1151 64 years old 565+ years old 2
The Centers for Disease Control continues to remind all Americans that proper hygiene and good judgement will help to combat the spread of the virus.
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
Governor Bill Lee's guidance for mass gatherings, schools, state employees and the state capitol building to prevent the virus' spread:
Mass Gatherings
The CDC recommends gatherings of 10 people or more in the U.S. be canceled or postponed over the next eight weeks. The CDC added this advisory does not apply to placed of business and schools.
Schools
Tennessee schools are urged to close as soon as practically possible, with all schools expected to close by March 20. Schools should remain closed through March 31 to further mitigate the spread of the infectious disease.
State Employees, Business Travel
Effective immediately, state employees who have been trained and certified to work from home within the states Alternative Workplace Solutions (AWS) program will work from home through March 31, 2020. Approximately 11,000 state employees are certified AWS employees and can begin work from home with no disruption to state business.
Effective immediately, state employees have been instructed to cease all non-essential business travel through March 31, 2020.
Tennessee State Capitol Closed to Visitors
The Tennessee State Capitol is closed to tours and visitors through March 31, 2020. Members of the media will continue to have access to the State Capitol building.
