Oak Ridge Today

Staff member volunteering at schools’ food distribution sites tests positive for COVID-19

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A staff member who has been volunteering at the Oak Ridge Schools’ food distribution sites has tested positive for COVID-19, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Monday.

As a result, the Oak Ridge High School and Oak Ridge Schools Preschool buildings will be closed for the remainder of this week, Borchers said in a message to staff members on Monday afternoon.

If you have been receiving meals at Oak Ridge High School, the school system recommends going to Robertsville Middle School to pick up meals. If you have been receiving meals at Oak Ridge Schools Preschool, the school system recommends going to Glenwood Elementary School to pick up meals. 

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Free drive-through COVID-19 testing available Sunday

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Free drive-through testing for COVID-19 will be available at Roane State Community College’s main campus in Roane County on Sunday, April 19.

The testing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Patients can remain in their vehicles throughout the process, a press release said.

The Roane County Health Department and the Tennessee Department of Health are organizing the testing event. Nurses and/or National Guard medics will collect nasal swabs from those who want to be tested, the press release said. Test results may be available within 72 hours after the samples arrive at the lab, depending on lab volume, the release said.

Anyone with health concerns, or who has concerns about the health of a family member, is invited to receive testing for COVID-19 at the event on April 19, the press release said. Participants do not need to provide a doctor’s note or prescription to access testing.

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For members: Layoffs announced at movie theater, car dealer

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Cinemark Tinseltown Theater is temporarily closed. The theater is pictured above on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Layoffs have been announced at an Oak Ridge movie theater and car dealership as well as at a fast food restaurant that could start renovations next month. Two Oak Ridge hotels have also announced layoffs.

The layoffs were announced as Tennessee reported that more than 300,000 unemployment claims were filed in the past four weeks. Parts of the economy have been shut down, and residents are required to stay at home unless they are conducting essential activities. Tennessee, along with the rest of the country and the world, is trying to slow the spread of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

Thirty-five workers were affected by layoffs at the movie theater, Cinemark Tinseltown USA, according to a notice posted by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Friday. The layoffs were effective March 26.

The theater, which is at Main Street Oak Ridge in the center of the city, has been temporarily closed.

The closure of Cinemark theaters across the United States is temporary and a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, spokesperson Caitlin Piper said Saturday.

“The health and safety of our employees, guests, and communities is a top priority, and we look forward to once again hiring employees and welcoming moviegoers to experience the magic of cinematic storytelling on our big screens when it is safe to do so,” Piper said. “Again, these Cinemark theatre closures across the U.S. are temporary.”

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Secret City Festival postponed

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Secret City Festival (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Secret City Festival has been postponed this year. A new date hasn’t been announced yet.

“Things will be a little different than usual, but we still look forward to bringing you a fantastic event!” organizers said in a Facebook post on Thursday. “More details to come soon!”

It’s one of four big Oak Ridge festivals that had been scheduled in June but have been affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

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Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival canceled, virtual festival scheduled

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Source: Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival and writing workshops scheduled for June have been canceled because of COVID-19.

But there will be a virtual storytelling festival on Saturday afternoon, April 18. Part of the proceeds will be used for COVID-19 relief, organizers said.

The Third Annual Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival had been scheduled for June 6 at the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. The writing workshops had been scheduled for June 4 and 5 at the University of Tennessee Arboretum.

“This is a challenging time for everyone, and this was a difficult decision,” organizers said. “However, we know that our top priority as a nation right now is to keep as many people as possible healthy.”

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Only those who meet CDC criteria can be tested Friday

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Free drive-through testing for COVID-19 started Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020, in the Oak Ridge High School parking lot. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Only people who meet certain criteria can be tested for COVID-19 at Oak Ridge High School today (Friday, April 17).

The criteria, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include only people with COVID-19 symptoms, first responders, health care workers, and patients who may have been exposed to the virus, the City of Oak Ridge said Thursday night.

COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, or shortness of breath. COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

Appointments for testing must be made online at KrogerHealth.com/COVIDtesting or by phone at (888) 837-8852.

If someone who meets CDC criteria is unable to register online or by phone, they can be registered on site, but they still need to meet the CDC criteria, the city said.

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Curve flattening: Growth rate of COVID-19 cases in single digits

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Graph, using a logarithmic scale, by Ken Mayes (used with permission)

The growth rate of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee has been in single digits for eight days and at or below 10 percent for two weeks.

This week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said the single-digit growth rate is encouraging.

“Our curve is flattening,” Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said during a press conference Monday. She said people need to continue doing what they are doing, especially as the state considers re-opening the economy in phases in May.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Lee said during that press conference. He said the state doesn’t intend to lift social distancing efforts, even if other requirements change.

“Social distancing is going to be a way of life for Tennesseans going forward,” Lee said. That will be true until there is a vaccine, he said.

On Monday, the governor announced a statewide stay-at-home order would be extended through April 30. On Wednesday, he recommended that schools in Tennessee remain closed though the end of the school year.

In the most recent update, from Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Health reported 6,079 COVID-19 cases in Tennessee with 135 deaths. There have been 663 hospitalizations and 2,196 recoveries.

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School board has special meeting today

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education has a special called board meeting today (Thursday, April 16).

The special meeting will start at 2 p.m.

Agenda items include emergency closings, telework during emergencies, and a proposed draft resolution to suspend policies (this is related to COVID-19).

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Updated: Kroger Health testing all, regardless of symptoms

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Free drive-through testing for COVID-19 started Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020 in the Oak Ridge High School parking lot. Note: Some people’s faces have been blurred in the photo above to protect patient privacy. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Friday update: Only people who meet certain criteria can be tested for COVID-19 at Oak Ridge High School today (Friday, April 17). See newer story here.

Kroger Health is now testing everyone at an Oak Ridge site, regardless of whether they show symptoms of COVID-19, a city spokesperson said Thursday morning.

The testing site opened at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday morning, and it is open through Friday afternoon.

Initially, those who wanted to be tested had to have symptoms and meet testing criteria. Symptoms of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly, include fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

But the testing criteria changed after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday announced free testing for all Tennessee residents.

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Lavender Festival postponed to next year

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2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

The Lavender Festival, one of Oak Ridge’s most popular festivals, has been postponed to 2021 as the city, state, and country try to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“After consulting with Oak Ridge city officials, and in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce that Lavender Festival 2020 will be postponed until June 19, 2021,” said Barbara Ferrell, a Jackson Square business owner and Lavender Festival Committee member. “We agree with city officials that Lavender Festival’s crowd and limited area make it an unsafe event as the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate in our community.

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Governor recommends keeping schools closed through end of school year

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Bill Lee

Note: This story was last updated at 6:40 p.m.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has recommended that schools in the state remain closed through the end of the school year.

Lee announced the recommendation during a Wednesday afternoon press conference about the COVID-19 pandemic.

School districts will have the flexibility to carry out critical year-end activities and to start preparing for next year, the governor said.

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said she appreciated the governor’s recommendation to keep schools closed through the end of the school year in order to protect the health and safety of all Tennesseans.

Schwinn said schools will open next year, and students will enter new grades.

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Governor announces free COVID-19 testing

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Bill Lee

Note: This story was last updated at 6:55 p.m.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday announced that free COVID-19 testing will be available to any Tennessee resident, regardless of whether they have the traditional symptoms: fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

It’s a significant expansion of what the state has been doing, including of the testing criteria and testing sites and dates, said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey. She said access is being expanded to the uninsured.

“If you think you need a test, we will test you,” Piercey said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference about the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our clinical understanding of COVID-19 is changing rapidly, and we need every Tennessean who isn’t feeling well, even outside of the traditional COVID-19 symptoms of cough, fever, or difficulty breathing, to come out and get tested.”

Lee said those who might want to get tested include those who aren’t feeling well and those who have come into contact with someone who has had COVID-19.

“We need every Tennesseean who isn’t feeling well to understand that they have access to testing,” Lee said. “When in doubt, get a test.”

COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

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