Children continue to be hit hard by virus surge in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The state Department of Health says the number of children contracting COVID-19 now make up 40% of all of Tennessee’s cases.

Tennessee is confronting a steady rise in hospitalizations that mirror the drastic numbers from the state’s last peak during the winter.

As of Wednesday, more than 3,300 Tennesseans were hospitalized with the virus — about the same number the state hovered around during a peak in January.

Meanwhile, Tennessee remains in the bottom 10 states for vaccination rates.

About 42% of the state is fully vaccinated, compared to the national rate of 52%.

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