Oak Ridge Today

ORPD checking employee temperatures, still enforcing laws

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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith on Wednesday said the temperatures of employees are being checked each day as they arrive for work, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is still enforcing laws.

When possible, police reports are being taken by phone to avoid personal contact, Smith said. It’s part of the police department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Oak Ridge Police Department is “on the job to deter crime and enhance the safety of our citizens,” Smith said in a social media post.

“During this time of social distancing, we are looking for ways to reduce personal contact with others while continuing to perform our jobs effectively,” Smith said. “Let me tell you what we are not doing. We are not decreasing our enforcement efforts.”

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COVID-19 cases pass 2,000 in Tennessee

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Graph by Ken Mayes (used with permission)

Note This story was last updated at 8:30 a.m. April 1.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee passed 2,000 on Tuesday. The Tennessee Department of Health reported 2,239 cases, 23 deaths, and 175 hospitalizations due to COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

The number of cases in Tennessee increased by 405. That was a 22 percent increase from Monday, when there were 1,834 cases.

The 23 deaths reported Tuesday were up from 13 on Monday. The state doesn’t currently list the counties where the deaths occurred.

The state also does not report which counties the hospitalizations occurred in, and it’s not clear how many of the patients remain in the hospital.

The Tennessee Department of Health publishes the state case totals at 2 p.m. Central time each day.

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Oak Ridge playgrounds closed to help prevent spread of COVID-19

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The City of Oak Ridge announced Monday, March 30, 2020, that playgrounds will be closed to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. Pictured above is the playground in Alvin K. Bissell Park. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge announced Monday that playgrounds will be closed to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

Trails, greenways, and parks including tennis courts, basketball courts for passive use (active games aren’t allowed), and Blankenship Field and track remain open for now for walking and jogging, the city said.

Other facilities are under review for possible closure, the city said.

“The public health situation is rapidly changing, here are the latest updates affecting city facilities,” the city said in an updated from Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson.

The city said financial transactions can be handled electronically and by mail. If you need to meet someone, you can call the department’s extension directly. Phone numbers are listed under each department below.

For the latest information on Oak Ridge Schools, click here.

MUNICIPAL BUILDING (Updated 3/20/20)

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Courthouse using one entrance; Senior Center closed through April 24

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Anderson County Courthouse
The Anderson County Courthouse on Main Street in Clinton is pictured above. (File photo)

Only one entrance is open at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and the Anderson County Senior Center is closed through April 24.

The changes are part of the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Anderson County government is providing government services to our citizens, but doing so with necessary precautions in place to protect employees and the citizens we serve,” said a press release from the office of Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.

“The public is strongly encouraged to call for the assistance they need instead of person-to-person visits at the Courthouse,” the press release said. “Most needs can be met electronically, via fax, or telephone. Citizens are strongly encouraged to limit their visits to the Courthouse. It is extremely important that citizens who are sick and in need of assistance should remain at home and call for assistance.”

The following changes have been made at county offices:

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Governor issues ‘safer at home’ order that urges people to stay home

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Bill Lee

Note This story was last updated at 7:45 p.m.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee continued to climb Monday, Governor Bill Lee issued a “safer at home” order that urged residents to stay home unless they are engaged in essential activities and it required non-essential businesses to close to the public, although curbside and delivery service will be allowed.

Critics immediately suggested the order wasn’t strong enough. Some would like a shelter in place order or stay at home order that does more than urge people to stay home.

The governor’s office said the new order, Executive Order 22, implements “safer at home” guidelines in every Tennessee county to further help slow the spread of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that has no cure and can cause severe symptoms and lead to hospitalization and death. The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed 1,834 cases in the state on Monday, with 148 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. The number of cases has more than doubled in the past five days, Lee’s order said.

The governor’s order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, March 31, and it will continue through 11:59 p.m. Central time on April 14.

“This is not a mandated shelter in place, but instead urges Tennesseans who are in non-essential roles to remain at home,” the governor’s office said.

The executive order restricts businesses that cannot safely operate during COVID-19 including businesses like barber shops, salons, and recreational and entertainment outfits, Lee’s office said. It also provides for the continuation of essential businesses throughout every county to protect the economy, the office said.

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COVID-19 cases pass 1,500 in Tennessee

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Graph courtesy Ken Mayes and used with permission

Note: This story was last updated at 11:40 a.m.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee passed 1,500 on Sunday.

There are now 1,537 cases in 72 of Tennessee’s 95 counties, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

That’s triple the number of cases from a week earlier. There were 505 cases on Sunday, March 22. The number of cases appears to be doubling in Tennessee in a range generally between two and five days.

“This is a very serious threat that we face as a community,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said during a press conference in Memphis on Friday. “We certainly have the capacity to rise up like Tennesseans do, to address it in a way that only we can. But it will take the efforts of every single one of us to do it.”

Lee said Tennessee is testing more people per capita than many other states.

The governor responded to a question about a potential “stay at home” order, an action he’s been urged to consider, and when they’re appropriate. He said a majority of states have not issued such an order statewide, and the decisions require “real discernment.” Closing businesses leads to job losses and affects livelihoods, Lee said. States are trying to use the right approaches and right decisions at the right time in the right places, Lee said.

“Here’s the reality in Tennessee: We are to a great degree, shut down as a state,” Lee said. “Every major population center has a stay at home order. The most populous counties in our state are all covered by stay at home orders—every restaurant, dining room in the state, every bar in Tennessee, every school in Tennessee…Tennesseans have shut down. This state is largely closed down, except for the number of folks that are moving around for the appropriate reasons.”

But that’s not true for all Tennessee residents, Lee acknowledged, as he urged residents to stay home, stay apart, avoid gatherings, and avoid unnecessary activities.

The number of confirmed cases in Anderson County ticked up to six on Sunday.

In surrounding counties, Knox County had 38 cases; Loudon County had eight; Campbell County had four; Roane County and Scott County each had two; and Morgan County and Union County each had one.

More than 133 patients have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Tennessee, a hospitalization rate of about 8.7 percent of confirmed cases. Seven people have died, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, which publishes the state case totals at 2 p.m. Central time each day. It’s not clear how many of the 133 patients who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 remain in a hospital, or where the majority have been hospitalized.

Shelby County, which includes Memphis in West Tennessee, recently passed Davidson County, which includes Nashville in Middle Tennessee, in the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Shelby County had 313 cases on Sunday, while Davidson County had 260. Shelby County had about 20 percent of the state’s total, while Davidson County had roughly 17 percent.

Oak Ridge Today has reported on three cases in Anderson County, one at the Anderson County Courthouse and two at the Y-12 National Security Complex. But it’s not clear where those two patients live or were tested, so it’s not clear if those cases are included in the case totals for Anderson County or in the case totals for another county.

There have been 20,574 COVID-19 tests total in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Of those, 19,037 (92.5 percent) have been negative, and 1,537 (7.5 percent) have been positive.

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COVID-19 cases rise to 1,373; Morgan, Union report first cases

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Graph by Ken Mayes (used with permission)

Note: This story was updated at 9:20 .m. March 30.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee rose to 1,373 on Saturday, and Morgan and Union counties reported their first cases.

More than 118 patients have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Tennessee, and six people have died, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, which publishes the state case totals at 2 p.m. Central time each day.

Shelby County, which includes Memphis in West Tennessee, now has more COVID-19 cases than Davidson County, which includes Nashville in Middle Tennessee. Shelby County has 269 cases, compared to 243 for Davidson County. Each county has roughly 18 percent of the state’s total cases. The Shelby County total was up from 201 on Friday.

COVID-19 cases have now been reported in Anderson County and all of its surrounding counties: Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union.

The number of cases in Anderson County increased to five on Saturday, up from four on Friday and three on Thursday.

Oak Ridge Today has reported on three cases in Anderson County, one at the Anderson County Courthouse and two at the Y-12 National Security Complex. But it’s not clear where those two patients live or were tested, so it’s not clear if those cases are included in the case totals for Anderson County or in the case totals for another county.

Knox County, which includes Knoxville, has 33 cases; Loudon County has six; Campbell county has four; Scott County has two; and Morgan, Roane, and Union counties have one case each.

There have been 18,338 COVID-19 tests total in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Of those, 16,965 (92.5 percent) have been negative.

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Second Y-12 employee tests positive for COVID-19

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The Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above. (Photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

A second employee at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge has tested positive for COVID-19.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, the federal contractor that manages and operates the nuclear weapons production plant, said it learned of the positive test result on Friday.

The second employee is from the same work area as the first employee who tested positive, CNS said Friday night. CNS confirmed the first case on Monday.

The second employee was quarantined earlier this week and remains in isolation at home, and the affected work locations were disinfected earlier this week, CNS said Friday.

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COVID-19 cases up to 1,203 in Tenn. with six deaths

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Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 a.m. March 29.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee increased to 1,203 on Friday, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

That’s up from 957 on Thursday, a 23 percent increase.

It’s up more than five times from 228 the previous week (Friday, March 20).

There are now four cases confirmed in Anderson County. That’s up from three on Thursday. It’s not clear if the four cases include the two that have been publicly disclosed, one at the Anderson County Courthouse and one at Y-12 National Security Complex, because it’s not clear where those two patients live or were tested.

There have been six deaths in Tennessee due to COVID-19 and 103 hospitalizations, the Tennessee Department of Health said in its afternoon list published Friday.

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Waffle House in Oak Ridge not among those closing

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The Waffle House restaurant on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Waffle House in Oak Ridge is not among the chain’s restaurants that are closing, but the Oak Ridge location is open for take-out orders only.

Some locations are closing as sales plummet as COVID-19 spreads and government officials sometimes prohibit certain activities such as dining in restaurants. Most of Waffle House’s closures are in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions, CNN reported Wednesday.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Waffle House said that 365 restaurants would close and 1,627 would remain open.

But by Thursday, the number of closures had been revised up to 429, with 1,563 restaurants remaining open. About 22 percent of the chain’s restaurants are closing.

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COVID-19: 3 cases in Anderson; 53 hospitalizations, 3 deaths in Tenn.

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Note: This story was last updated at 2:55 p.m.

The Tennessee Department of Health on Wednesday reported three cases of COVID-19 in Anderson County; a total of 53 hospitalizations so far, although some patients could have been discharged; and three deaths in Tennessee from the contagious respiratory illness.

Oak Ridge Today has reported on two cases in Anderson County, one at the Anderson County Courthouse and the other at the Y-12 National Security Complex. It’s not clear where the third case is.

The total number of confirmed cases in Tennessee climbed to 784 on Wednesday. That was up from 667 on Tuesday and 615 on Monday. The total number of confirmed cases had increased eight times from 98 one week earlier, on Wednesday, March 18.

The state total may not reflect what is being reported in cities and counties and can be lower because there can be a lag between what is being reported to city and county health departments and what is reported by the state.

At least some of the increase in the state’s numbers has been attributed to more testing. But it’s not clear how much of the increase in the number of confirmed cases is due to more testing.

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Y-12 reducing UPF bus riders, staggering shifts

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In this picture posted March 3, the roof is being raised at the Uranium Processing Facility Salvage and Accountability Building, and the second elevated deck is being set into place. (Photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

A federal contractor is limiting the number of employees who can ride a bus at one time to the Uranium Processing Facility construction site at the Y-12 National Security Complex and started the process of staggering shifts at the project to help keep workers separated from each other as the world tries to slow the spread of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

The changes at Y-12 were disclosed on Wednesday by the plant operator, Consolidated Nuclear Security, in response to questions from Oak Ridge Today after a plant employee tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

Oak Ridge Today had asked about construction workers being bused to the Uranium Processing Facility construction site from the east side of Y-12 each morning and whether the confirmation of a COVID-19 case at the 811-acre plant would affect those construction bus rides, including by possibly requiring employees to have some physical separation on the bus rides.

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