CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Montgomery County has another COVID-19 death – the second one this week – bringing the total deaths here to 15.
The death was announced by Joey Smith, Montgomery County Health Department director, who was unable to release additional details. The 14th death was announced Tuesday, Aug. 11.
“Every death is a person; 5 of our deaths came in the last 14 days,” Smith told Clarksville Now Thursday afternoon. “It’s 33 percent of our COVID-19 deaths came in the last 14 days.”
There are some encouraging signs in the local numbers, though, he said, and it’s the result of the mask orders.
“We were on a sharp climb of active COVID-19 cases, but around July 20-14, days after the mask mandate, the (numbers) kind of started to level off and stopped that sharp escalation of active cases,” Smith said.
“We knew the mask mandate wouldn’t make it go away, but it did reduce the amount of transmission by having a little barrier in front of your face. That was the encouraging part. On July 20, you can see where it stops and starts leveling off. That’s the only thing I can think of that had changed.”
Overall, he said, Montgomery County has been lucky to not have as many active cases or deaths as similar-sized counties.
“Epidemiologists will look back and speculate why some communities had the spread contained, and maybe part of it is we have the youngest median age citizens, and that might be working in our favor. Some counties may have a higher percentage of people over 65 or with pre-existing conditions,” Smith said.
“There are communities that have the spread of death harder, and there are people hurting.”
The pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the Health Department employees and other health workers, he said.
“Every day and night I’m praying for our community and those who are sick. We are all tired, and it can wear on you and our healthcare workers.”
Earlier Thursday, the Electrolux plant in nearby Springfield announced that an employee who tested positive for coronavirus had died. The employee hasn’t been identified, and it wasn’t known whether the employee was a Montgomery County resident.
Coronavirus numbers
As of Thursday, Aug. 13, there are now 1,049 active cases of COVID-19 reported locally, up from 1,042 on Wednesday.
There were also 3 more hospitalizations, bringing the number of active hospitalizations to 19, Smith said.
Here are the rest of the local statistics as of Thursday at 2 p.m.:
- 2,014 lab confirmed and 27 probable cases for a total of 2,041 since March 6
- 26 new cases today out of 333 new test results
- 977 total recovered
- 1,049 active cases
- 15 total deaths
- 212 total school-age cases (5-18)
- 3 new hospitalizations (residence correction)
- 90 total hospitalizations
- 25,977 total negative lab results
Opening schools
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is closely monitoring the data as it moves closer to the planned Aug. 31 opening of schools for students taking the traditional option.
“Medium spread,” defined as .5% to 1% active cases in Montgomery County, is one metric that could lead CMCSS to keep schools closed.
Based on a county population estimate of 209,000, medium spread would be 1,045 to 2,090 active cases, and the county had 1,049 active cases as of Thursday.
How to get a free coronavirus test
Free COVID-19 testing is offered by the Montgomery County Health Department in a temporary location at Civitan Park, 650 Bellamy Lane, from 7 a.m. to noon Monday-Friday. Follow the signs to the drive-up testing site.
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