Vaccination landmark
Tennessee reached a vaccination landmark on Thursday when the department of health announced that more than one million Tennesseans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s still a long way to go from the goal of 70% vaccination coverage (22% of residents have received at least one dose), but it’s still worth celebrating when you think about where the state was a year ago.
On this day in 2020, Gov. Bill Lee ordered Tennesseans to stay at home unless they were engaged in “essential activities or essential services.” The state was racing forward in a furious effort to equip arenas and convention centers with medical equipment and 7,000 beds in preparation for an anticipated COVID-19 patient surge. With no vaccine or treatment, and little understanding of the new disease, staying at home was one of the only tools available to protect against the coronavirus.
Stay healthy,
– Elizabeth Fite, health care reporter, efite@timesfreepress.com