JMCR Health Dept. hosts another COVID-19 briefing

JACKSON, TN (WNBJ) - The Jackson-Madison Regional Health Department held another COVID briefing today. At the briefing, health experts and city leaders continue to stress to the community to go get vaccinated.

The regional director at the health department started the briefing going over the numbers for the county.

“It is not looking real good since our media briefing last Wednesday. We have increased approximately 970 cases since reported last Wednesday. That puts our positivity rate at about 21 and a half percent, which is probably the highest it has been throughout this pandemic,” said Kim Tedford, the Regional Director at JMCR Health Dept.

West Tennessee Healthcare explaining that the ICU unit in the hospital is nearing full capacity.

“So, we currently showing that we have 80 beds available for adult ICU beds, but we have 73 patients in those beds today and 38 of those are COVID. The reason I point that out is that those hospitalizations for the most part are preventable. Half of our ICU beds are full right now because 91 percent of the people in them chose not to get vaccinated,” said Amy Garner, the Communications Officer at West Tennessee Healthcare.

The mayor of the city of Jackson discusses how this new wave of COVID is affecting city staff.

“For the city of Jackson, we have roughly 16 employees that are at home right now with either direct contact or COVID themselves. That goes into the services provided. Those employees range from the fire department, police department, our health, and sanitation department, central dispatch," said Mayor Scott Conger, in Jackson.

Tedford spoke again during the briefing pleading with the public to go get vaccinated, wear masks, and follow all other guidelines from health experts regarding COVID-19 protocols.

“People we have been in this pandemic long enough that you know what you need to do so please we are begging for the medical community to just do it, just do what we ask you to do,” said Tedford.

The next COVID briefing is next Wednesday, August 25th.