Hamilton County has no abnormal COVID-19 hot spots, according to a map shared by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department late Tuesday.
A heat map of the county's 94 confirmed cases shows that the virus has spread throughout the area, with some concentration in the southern part of the county where there is a higher population, as was expected by the health department.
"You can see that the hotter areas are at the bottom of the map. That is because there is a higher density of population in the southern part of the county," county epidemiologist Dan Walker said at a press conference. "What's more important to know is that there are cases throughout the county and that's why it's important to maintain social distancing and remain at home throughout the pandemic."
After the county refused to share geographical information about the cases for the first three weeks of the local outbreak, Walker said the department chose to share the information Tuesday because there were enough cases to release a map without jeopardizing anyone's privacy.
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The department also announced nine additional cases, bringing the county to 94 confirmed cases. About 30% of confirmed cases came from direct contact with another case, meaning that 70% are examples of community spread.
In county hospitals, which do not necessarily reflect county residents, the department reports 13 known cases and 20 potential cases seeking treatment.
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.
The map below was provided by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department but with cities added to it by the Times Free Press. Areas of the county with yellow, orange and red spots have more cases.
