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Five things to know about COVID-19 in the Chattanooga region for the week ending Feb. 26

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Nurse Diani Jones checks doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination site at the Tennessee Riverpark on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Nurse Diani Jones checks doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination site at the Tennessee Riverpark on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.

By Wyatt Massey February 26, 2021 4 min read

Every week, the Times Free Press will publish five essential things to know about the coronavirus pandemic in the Chattanooga region. For more updated case count numbers and other data related to Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, visit timesfreepress.com/virus.

Five things to know about COVID-19 in the Chattanooga region for the week ending Feb. 26.

1. Tennessee falls in first dose COVID-19 vaccinations: Wasted doses in Shelby County and bad weather cause delays.

Why it matters: The Volunteer State ranks near the bottom nationally in administering first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Officials said the shortcoming was due to bad winter weather in the previous week and mishandling of vaccines by health leaders in Shelby County. An investigation by the Tennessee Department of Health found seven incidents this month of expired vaccines in the county, amounting to more than 2,400 doses being wasted.