Fairground testing, executive order plans discussed in COVID-19 update

JACKSON, Tenn. — The city and county’s executive stay at home order could last a few more weeks.

“Yeah I think it’s the plan to go through the end of the month,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger. “We can’t lessen any restrictions that the governor hasn’t done.”

Conger says it goes back to the plan to reopen the economy in phases.

“So while we’re only limited to seven days, we will have to continue to renew them and amend them as we get into the recovery phase so that we can do that in phases,” Conger said.

This weekend, the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department and West Tennessee Healthcare partnered together for the second testing weekend at the Jackson Fairgrounds. They tested a total of 1,394 people.

“With our numbers of 1,394, we contributed to 12% of the testing done state wide which is phenomenal,” said Kim Tedford, director of Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department.

They were able to get the testing down to five minutes per car, and expect to get the results back in five to seven days.

With that many people being tested at once, the health department says there could be a spike in positive cases when the results come back.

“I do think it’s a good snapshot,” Tedford said. “I know the governor has said he wants 10,000 people tested.”

West Tennessee Healthcare has 18 employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, and another 64 who are self-quarantining out of caution.

The hospital says they’re prepared for any surge in patients.

“My concern would be what happens in another couple of weeks if patients are positive, could they take a turn for the worse and require hospitalization? Absolutely,” said Amy Garner of West Tennessee Healthcare.

The health department did confirm the one-year-old who tested positive this weekend is not hospitalized at this time.

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