Oak Ridge Today

Roane County requires masks

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A graph shows the number of new COVID-19 cases in Roane County by month since the pandemic began in March. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 22, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

Face masks are now required in Roane County to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Roane County Executive Ron Woody announced the mask mandate on Monday morning. It is effective immediately.

“I hope this community will take this order without causing more divisions among our citizens,” Woody said. He hopes no law enforcement will be needed.

The west end of Oak Ridge is in Roane County, although most of the city’s residents live in Anderson County.

Roane County’s cases and deaths have risen during the past month, Woody said. Roane County has reported almost four times as many COVID-19 deaths so far this month, 15, than in the previous high month—four in September. The county has reported more new cases so far this month, 717, than in the previous high month—543 in October.

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Schools ask people to wear masks, maintain distances

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In a letter last week, Oak Ridge Schools officials asked people to wear masks, maintain physical distances from people who live outside their home, and wash their hands.

There has been a recent surge in COVID-19 cases among students and staff members in Oak Ridge Schools. The surge began after fall break, although it’s not clear if the two events are connected.

On Monday, the school system returned middle school students to alternating schedules as the number of students who have to be quarantined increases. High school students remain on the alternating schedules, and elementary and preschool students continue with classes five days per week.

In their letter, school officials said they were asking the community to do what the students and teachers are doing to stay healthy in order to maintain and increase educational and extracurricular activities.

“Wear your mask, social distance, wash your hands, and understand that activities you participate in outside of the school day can easily jeopardize our ability to continue in-person education,” the letter said.

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City: Watson feeling better, reported mild COVID symptoms

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Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson is feeling better, and his COVID-19 symptoms remained mild all week, a spokesperson said Friday.

Watson learned a week ago that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

The city manager worked remotely this past week, Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said. He will continue to work from home at the beginning of next week and will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the week.

The city has urged residents to use caution during the holiday season as the positivity rate remains high; wastewater testing shows the disease is present across the city; and new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths grow to record-setting levels in Anderson County, Tennessee, and the United States.

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Roane reports seven COVID deaths in three days

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This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Roane County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 19, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

Seven COVID-19 deaths were reported in three days in Roane County, according to state data.

The seven deaths were reported in data published by the Tennessee Department of Health on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Roane County has reported 11 deaths from COVID-19 this month. That’s more than half of the county’s 21 total deaths due to COVID-19.

Anderson County has reported seven of its 25 deaths due to COVID-19 this month.

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Children’s Museum Gala will be virtual

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Sam Venable

Appalachian tales and mountain music will be presented at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge 19th annual Gala on Friday, December 4.

It will be the museum’s first virtual gala, and it will celebrate East Tennessee’s great mountain heritage with the theme “MoonShine on the Mountain,” a press release said. It will also feature Children’s Museum STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) mixed in with the entertainment.

Sam Venable, humor columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel, will bring his storytelling magic to the Museum, presenting Southern Appalachian Tales for the Gala audience, the press release said. Author of 14 books, Venable writes on outdoor and humor themes.

In recent years, Venable’s popularity has grown as a comedic entertainer, the press release said. His topics include how to speak “hillbillyese” and coping with the nutty life in which we live. He has teamed up with entertainers Bill Landry, a TV personality; Elizabeth Rose, singer and storyteller; and Jim Claborn, hillbilly funnyman, on the “Talk is Cheap” comedy tour at venues throughout the region.

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Charts: COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations in Anderson, Knox, Roane

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This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Anderson County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 17, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

We have included some charts in this story about COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Anderson, Knox, and Roane counties. Here are a few more charts that we didn’t include there, with data through Tuesday, November 17.

See our earlier story here for more information.

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Anderson, Roane report five more COVID deaths

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This graph shows the number of COVID-19 deaths by month in Anderson, Knox, and Roane counties. Note: November is a partial month. This data is through Nov. 17. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

Anderson and Roane counties reported five more deaths due to COVID-19 on Tuesday, and Knox County reported another nine deaths.

November is the deadliest month for COVID-19 in all three counties, and there are about two weeks remaining in the month. Nine deaths have been reported in both Anderson and Roane counties so far this month, and 30 deaths have been reported in Knox County.

Of the five deaths reported Tuesday, two were in Anderson County, and three were in Roane County.

The nine deaths in Roane County this month are more than the eight reported in all of the previous months.

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Sara Alert Academic available for universities to use to help monitor COVID-19 cases

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As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, the university system is struggling to contain the spread of the disease and keep classes open. Sara Alert Academic is available now by subscription for university officials to securely automate the monitoring of students, faculty, and staff exposed to or infected with COVID-19 or any infectious disease, a press release said.

The software platform is tailored to the unique needs of universities and colleges, providing an automated workflow to allow health staff to rapidly prioritize and respond to student and staff needs. It customizes what a university will need to streamline the process, such as student identification, housing information, and tracking by university-specific areas, such as campus buildings or sports teams, the press release said.

“Sara Alert Academic provides secure infectious disease monitoring and reporting tailored specifically for universities,” said ORAU Vice President of Research and University Partnerships Ken Tobin. “It can help keep campuses operating safely through increased efficiency in tracking potential exposures and monitoring confirmed cases, leading to earlier containment and isolation, and reduction of burden on limited resources.”

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Thirty-six COVID cases reported among students, school staff since Wednesday

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A graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases in Oak Ridge Schools reported by school week since Wednesday, July 29, 2020, and continuing through Tuesday, Nov. 10. Students were on fall break for parts of weeks nine and 11, and for all of week 10. Note: Week 16 started Wednesday, Nov. 11, so it’s a partial week. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

Thirty-six cases of COVID-19 have been reported among students and staff members in Oak Ridge Schools since Wednesday.

It’s a drastic increase in the number of cases reported among students and staff and triple the previous weekly high of 12. The highest number of cases in one day, 11, was reported Friday.

Fourteen of the COVID-19 cases since Wednesday have been reported at Robertsville Middle School (13 students and one staff member). Nine cases have been reported at Oak Ridge High School (all students), and seven have been reported at Jefferson Middle School (also all students).

During a longer period, the past 12 days, 47 cases have been reported in Oak Ridge Schools. During that time period, the highest numbers of cases have been reported at the two middle schools: 16 at RMS and 12 at JMS. The third-highest number of cases, 11, was reported at ORHS.

The increase in cases among middle school students, in particular, occurred after they returned to class five days per week on Monday, November 2. The most significant surge also started after Halloween. But it’s not clear if the events are connected. Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers has said about 80 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases have been exposed to the virus outside of school, according to information provided by parents.

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State reports almost 8,000 new COVID cases, county almost 100

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Tennessee reported record highs of almost 8,000 new cases of COVID-19 across the state on Monday, and Anderson County reported a record high of almost 100 new cases.

The Tennessee Department of Health reported 7,951 new cases of COVID-19 across the state on Monday afternoon, and Anderson County reported 93. Both are record highs and far above what is normal, in the range of at least twice as high or more, compared to most previous peaks.

Halfway through, November has most COVID deaths in Anderson, Roane

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This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Anderson County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 15, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

More COVID-19 deaths were reported in Anderson and Roane counties during the first two weeks of November than in any previous month. That means, with two weeks remaining, November is already the worst month of the pandemic for deaths in both counties.

If current trends continue, there could also be more hospitalizations this month than in any previous month in both counties.

Anderson County reported four more deaths due to COVID-19 between Friday and Sunday, and five since Wednesday. The county has had six more hospitalizations in the past seven days.

Roane County reported four more deaths since Tuesday and seven additional hospitalizations.

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November already tied for deadliest month for COVID-19

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A chart of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Anderson County since March. Note: November is a partial month. (Chart by Oak Ridge Today)

In less than two weeks, November is already tied for deadliest month for COVID-19 in Anderson County, and if current trends continue, the county could have the most hospitalizations this month.

Since Tuesday, Anderson and Roane counties have reported six deaths and nine hospitalizations.

By Friday, five deaths due to COVID-19 had been reported in Anderson County in the first 13 days of November, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Health. That means November is already tied for September as deadliest month.

Three of the deaths were reported between Wednesday and Friday.

There have been 10 hospitalizations in Anderson County since November 1. That’s already tied with October, the second-worst month, and on track to surpass July, the worst month for hospitalizations. There were 16 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Anderson County in July.

Three of the new hospitalizations were reported Thursday.

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