Since last Friday, the overall positivity rate for Shelby County coronavirus testing has increased five-fold, closer to 10%. As of Friday, July 24, it is now at 9.9%.
The positivity rate is the percentage, of all tests sent to the laboratory, that are positive. Authorities have emphasized the need for a positivity rate below 10%. Ten percent or more, they have said, is indicative of community transmission.
On Friday, the Shelby County Health Department reported 374 new coronavirus cases (out of 2,281 tests), giving the day a positivity rate of 16.4%.
The Health Department also reported three additional deaths from the disease.
In Shelby County, 183,183 coronavirus tests have been administered since the start of the pandemic. The county total is now 18,058 reported cases and 259 related deaths; 12,819 people consider themselves recovered from the disease.
The number of active cases is currently 4,980.
According to the state Health Resources Monitoring System, as of 5 pm on Thursday, July 23, 86% of the regional intensive care unit was being used and 90% of the regional intensive care beds, the same percentages as the previous day.
On Thursday, July 16, 91% of the regional ICU and 90% of the regional intensive care beds were being used. There were 354 patients hospitalized for coronavirus compared to 336 currently.
Of the current 395 ICU patients, 114 were COVID-positive and another 26 were under investigation for the virus, meaning that approximately 35% of patients were COVID-positive or under investigation for the virus.
And 66 ICU beds were available.
Of the current 2,173 acute care patients, 222 were COVID-positive and another 104 were under investigation for the virus, meaning that about 15% of patients were COVID-positive or under investigation for the virus.
And 252 acute care beds were available.
The above hospital data reflects facilities in Shelby, Lauderdale and Tipton counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas, and DeSoto County in Mississippi.
The Tennessee Department of Health reports coronavirus data statewide at 2 pm every day.
As of Thursday, July 23, the agency reported 86,987 coronavirus cases as of July 23, 2020, including 925 deaths, 4,016 hospitalizations, and 51,661 recoveries deemed recovered.
In Tennessee, 1.3 million coronavirus tests were performed.
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