Oak Ridge Today

COVID-19 emergency delays start of football, girls soccer seasons

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Blankenship-Field-James-Mitchell-Aug-2019
Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—is pictured above in August 2019. (File photo by James Mitchell via City of Oak Ridge)

The extension of the COVID-19 emergency in Tennessee has delayed the start of the high school football and girls soccer seasons.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has extended the COVID-19 state of emergency until August 29. A prior order by the governor includes limitations and restrictions on contact sporting events and activities.

In an update sent to member schools on Tuesday, Bernard Childress, executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, said member schools cannot have any competition or scrimmage with other schools while the governor’s order is in place. The schools cannot have close contact activities during practice for football, 7-on-7 football, girls soccer, wrestling, and basketball. Football and girls soccer cannot begin their seasons as originally scheduled, Childress said.

The Oak Ridge football season opener had been scheduled for August 21.

The TSSAA Board of Control had a special meeting Wednesday and voted unanimously to require that member schools follow the governor’s executive order for sports activities.

The board discussed the effect that the extended COVID-19 state of emergency will have on contact sports in the fall. Football, girls soccer, and competitive cheer are considered contact sports.

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ORNL Federal Credit Union requiring face masks in all branches

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The Oak Ridge branch of ORNL Federal Credit Union on Rutgers Avenue is pictured above on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

ORNL Federal Credit Union is requiring face masks in all branch offices starting today (Friday, July 3).

The credit union announced the policy in response to a decision by the Knox County Board of Health. The health board approved a public health order this week that requires masks in most indoor public places, the credit union said. Financial institutions are not exempt. The public health order, which is effective today, is in response to the increasing number of local and national COVID cases.

ORNL Federal Credit Union said face masks will be required in all of its branch offices, not just Knox County branches. Disposable face masks will be provided to members who do not have one, the credit union said. People who enter a branch without a mask will be asked to use the credit union’s digital or drive-through services.

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COVID-19 cases rise by 1,800, another new high

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A summary of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee through Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (Image courtesy Tennessee Department of Health)

Note: This story was last updated at 7:35 p.m.

COVID-19 cases in Tennessee rose by about 1,800 on Wednesday, another new high as the case count surges in Tennessee.

The previous high of 1,410 new cases was just five days ago, on Friday, June 26.

There were five new deaths reported Wednesday and 50 new hospitalizations. Current hospitalizations climbed from 527 on Monday to 574 on Tuesday.

Tennessee has now averaged more than 1,000 new cases per day for the last four days, which is a new trend. It’s not clear how long that trend might continue, if it continues.

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Tennessee reports more than 3,000 new COVID cases in three days

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A graph showing daily new COVID-19 cases in Tennessee through Monday, June 29, 2020. (Graph by Ken Mayes/Used with permission)

Tennessee reported more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past three days—an average of more than 1,000 new cases per day—and the number of cases has passed 100 in Anderson County.

There are now about 15,300 active cases in Tennessee and 32 active cases in Anderson County.

The Tennessee Department of Health did not report COVID-19 data on Sunday because of an unplanned shutdown of the state system. But the two-day numbers released Monday showed an average of more than 1,000 new cases per day for Sunday and Monday.

The state reported an additional 1,212 new cases on Tuesday. That is the second-highest new daily total reported since the first case was diagnosed in the state on Wednesday, March 4.

The highest daily total in Tennessee, 1,410, was reported just four days ago, on Friday.

The COVID-19 dashboard by the Tennessee Department of Health through Monday, June 29, 2020.

The Baker Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee said the seven-day average for new cases in the state has reached a new all-time high every day since June 24.

Hospitalizations are also at an all-time high. There have been an average of 47 new hospitalizations each day, the Baker Center said.

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Updated: State reports new daily high in COVID cases

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This COVID-19 dashboard by the Tennessee Department of Health is through Saturday, June 27, 2020.

Note: This story was last updated at 2:30 p.m. June 28.

Tennessee reported about 1,400 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, a new daily high, and the state passed 40,000 total cases on Saturday.

There were 1,410 new cases reported Friday. Of those, 1,396 were new confirmed cases, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Fourteen were new probable cases.

The previous high was 1,188 new cases a week earlier, on June 19.

Seven of the state’s top 10 highest new daily case counts have been in the past two weeks. Five of them have been in the past five days.

The number of cases increased by 728 on Saturday, pushing the total to 40,172. Of those cases, 39,848 were confirmed, and 324 were probable.

The number of cases in Anderson County rose by one to 90 on Saturday. The day before, on Friday, the case count went up by eight, the highest increase in the county. Previously, the largest daily increase had been five.

While the hospitalization rate has fallen across the state, the number of current hospitalizations has increased during the past few weeks from 391 on Friday, June 12, to 484 on Thursday, June 25.

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Roane State plans to re-open in phases with COVID precautions

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Roane State Community College plans to re-open in phases with COVID-19 precautions, allowing students to access many of the services they need on campus before the fall semester, a press release said.

For the remainder of June, the following offices will operate from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the designated locations:

  • Bookstore (Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses)
  • Bursar/Business Office (Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses)
  • One Stop (all campus sites)

Beginning Monday, July 6, the offices listed above will transition to a Monday through Thursday schedule on the Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., the press release said. Success coaches will also begin a return to campus for in-person appointments. All campus sites will begin offering One Stop services on the four-day summer schedule. This schedule will continue for the remainder of July, the press release said.

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Roane State reports first confirmed case of COVID-19

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RSCC Coffey McNally Building Oak Ridge
The Coffey/McNally Building is pictured at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College. (Photo by Roane State)

On Thursday, June 18, a Roane State Community College student reported a positive COVID-19 test result to the college. The student has not shown any symptoms and is now quarantining at home, a press release said.

This is the first confirmed case of the virus on any of Roane State’s campuses, the press release said.

The positive case was found during a precautionary health screening required by a state licensing board and was conducted at a local health department, the press release said.

The student was reported to have been inside the Coffey-McNally Building of the Oak Ridge Branch Campus (ORBC) on Tuesday, June 16. Upon learning of the positive test result, the college began the process of closing the building and notifying each person who had been in direct contact with the student.

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Tennessee reports new daily high in COVID-19 cases

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A chart of daily new COVID-19 cases in Tennessee through Saturday, June 20, 2020. (Chart courtesy Ken Mayes, used with permission)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee reported 1,188 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, a new daily high, and the state passed 500 confirmed deaths on Saturday, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

The new high in daily new cases occurred in the same week that the state reported what are now its third- and sixth-highest totals of new cases in one day: 885 on Sunday, June 14, and 726 on Monday, June 15.

Of the 1,188 new cases reported Friday, the state said 1,181 were new confirmed cases and seven were new probable cases.

The previous daily high was 1,156 on May 1. That was reported after a large number of new cases was diagnosed at Turner Trousdale Correctional Center, according to Nashville investigative reporter Phil Williams.

It’s not clear why there was a new high on Friday. There was a large number of new tests reported, 15,176. But the rate of positive results, 7.8 percent (comparing total new cases to total new tests), was in the range of the rate for the rest of the week, when the positive rate ranged between 4.9 percent and 8.8 percent.

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COVID-19 cases pass 30,000 in Tennessee

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Graph courtesy Ken Mayes (used with permission)

Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m.

The number of COVID-19 cases passed 30,000 in Tennessee on Sunday. The number of deaths is approaching 500, and the number of active cases in the state is over 10,000.

There are now 65 total cases (confirmed and probable) and 20 active cases in Anderson County. Those are both significant increases.

Across the state, there were 31,612 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 472 confirmed deaths on Tuesday, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. There were another 218 probable cases and another 21 probable deaths.

The number of cases in Anderson County appears to be generally increasing more rapidly. Through Friday, June 5, the Anderson County cases had been slowly climbing a case or two at time, and some days there were no new cases. But that seems to have changed around June 6. The case count climbed from 42 on Friday, June 5, to 50 on Tuesday, June 9. It rose to 60 on Monday, June 15, and it was 65 on Tuesday, June 16, the Tennessee Department of Health said.

The number of active cases in the county has been increasing as well. It had been in the range of five to eight active cases. It increased to 11 on Tuesday, June 9. On Tuesday, June 16, there were 20 active cases in Anderson County, according to health department data (65 total cases and 45 recovered).

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Pierce Physical Therapy introduces new physical therapist

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Jocelyn Miller, left, and Ray Pierce of Pierce Physical Therapy are pictured above. (Photo by Kenton Pryor)

Pierce Physical Therapy has introduced a new physical therapist, Jocelyn Miller.

Here is more information about Miller:

Jocelyn Miller, PT, DPT

Born and raised in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, Jocelyn received her bachelor’s degree with honors in anthropology from Indiana University.

She then moved to California, receiving a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Stanford University.

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Anderson County Fair canceled due to pandemic

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Fair has been canceled this year because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fair had been scheduled for July 13 to 18.

In a press release, organizers said they had hoped to have the fair this summer.

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JCPenney re-opens in Oak Ridge

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JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, May 15, 2020, after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Oak Ridge store, pictured above on May 5, has re-opened. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The JCPenney store in Oak Ridge has re-opened. The store is in Main Street Oak Ridge in the center of the city.

The store is open limited hours: from 12-7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.

There are dedicated hours for at-risk customers: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. At-risk customers include the elderly, pregnant women, and people with underlying health issues.

It hadn’t been clear if the Oak Ridge store, which had been temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, would re-open after JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, May 15.

But it is now open. Customers can enter through the doors on the Cinemark Tinseltown side of the store.

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