Tennessee is closing out a tumultuous year ranked first in the country for new COVID-19 cases per capita, record high hospitalizations and staggering death rates.
Those grim numbers coupled with delays in the state’s virus vaccination rollout are causing health leaders to stress continued diligence in social distancing and mask wearing in 2021.
“Widespread immunity from our vaccine will take several more months and in the meantime we can’t let down our guard,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper on Thursday. “We have to slow the community spread and give our health care workers some relief.”
As of Thursday, just 14% of middle Tennessee’s hospital beds were available while 9% of ICU beds were available, according to the mayor’s office.
Cooper also issued a reminder that the city would be enforcing occupancy limits on New Year’s Eve, particularly restricting group numbers to eight. He encouraged the public to celebrate at home as Music City’s restaurant and bars face a 10 p.m. curfew.