Health official: 92% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients not vaccinated

JACKSON, Tenn. — County leaders gave an update on the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Regional Director Kim Tedford says there are currently over 900 active and unknown COVID-19 cases in Madison County.

Amy Garner, with West Tennessee Healthcare, says there are currently 119 COVID-19 patients at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

Garner says the numbers they are seeing at Jackson General are close to the numbers recorded in December, which was at the peak of the virus in West Tennessee.

“They actually got up to 63 total ventilators running at Jackson, and yesterday we actually got up to 61. What took us months to get to before, as far as peak numbers, has only taken us weeks to get back there,” Garner said.

On Tuesday, the health department confirmed three Madison County residents had died from COVID-19 complications.

Tedford says two of those people were not vaccinated.

Officials say COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective way to get these numbers back under control.

“Yesterday, I was told that 92% of our hospitalized COVID patients had not been vaccinated,” Garner said.

“We have a responsibility to the people that we love, the people that we know, to make sure that we’re protecting them and protecting ourselves,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger.

Health officials are concerned now about students.

Jackson-Madison County School System leaders say 16 schools are requiring masks for two weeks due to the number of positive cases and quarantined students and staff.

“This particular variant is a lot more contagious. We’re seeing a lot younger patients, we’re seeing a spike in our numbers that has gone up astronomically over the last month,” Garner said.

“I would encourage parents, even in schools where the mask are not mandated, but they are optional. Please put your child in a mask to help slow the spread,” Tedford said.

Saturday, Aug. 14, West Tennessee Healthcare is hosting a walk-in vaccination clinic at the main University of Tennessee Medicine campus, which is at 294 Summer Drive in Jackson from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

It’s walk in, so you don’t need an appointment.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine clinic near you, click here.

To stay up-to-date on the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.