Gov. Lee confirms first case of coronavirus in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the state at a press conference Thursday morning.

The impacted patient is an 44-year-old man from Williamson County who is currently isolated at home with mild symptoms. He traveled out of state recently, but not out of the country, and returned four or five days ago.

A spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Health said they are waiting to confirm details of where in the country the patient traveled. She also said they are waiting to confirm if the man traveled through Nashville International Airport.

“As of last night, we have our first confirmed case of COVID 19 in Tennessee,” explained Gov. Lee.

“Tennessee was one of the first first states to begin COVID 19 testing and we continue to remain confident in our ability to prevent the spread of this infection in our state. We are actively engaged in our COVID 19 task force,” said Gov. Lee.

“While this is a serious situation, I urge Tennesseans to keep this illness in perspective as the vast majority of cases or mild and manageable.”

Gov. Lee announced a coronavirus task force on Wednesday to enhance efforts to prevent, identify, and treat potential cases of COVID-19, according to a news release.