Coronavirus in Tennessee: Inactive cases rise by 229 as Knox County reports 189 new cases & 3 new deaths

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Knox County reported 189 new positive COVID-19 cases Saturday and 229 new inactive cases, along with three new deaths according to the latest data released by the Knox County Health Department.

Active cases include probable and positive cases of the virus and there are now 1,938 active cases in Knox County, down from 1,978 reported on Friday.

The county has reported 67 total coronavirus-related deaths, 63 of which have come since July 2. The county reported 19 deaths in the month of August and nine so far in September.

Of the 8,186 total confirmed cases reported in Knox County since the pandemic began, 304 of them have resulted in hospitalization at any point during their illness. There are 41 Knox County residents currently hospitalized due to COVID-19.

There are 6,478 inactive cases in Knox County.

Beginning last Friday, the Health Department started reporting “inactive” cases instead of “recovered” cases. Inactive cases include those who are 14 days or more beyond their illness onset date, or for asymptomatic cases, their specimen collection date. This is in alignment with the Tennessee Department of Health.

The change led to more than 1,000 cases being deemed inactive on last Saturday and Sunday.

Knox County Health Department lists 297 probable cases of COVID-19 on the county website.

Knox County Health Department testing is taking place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the Jacobs Building in Chilhowee Park.

KCHD updates its numbers daily at 11 a.m. Visit covid.knoxcountytn.gov for more information. Press briefings by the Knox County Health Department are on Tuesday and Thursdays. Briefings begin at 12:30 p.m.