HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – According to Hamilton County Health Department data as of May 17th, a total of 8,899 tests have been performed. This equates to 24.2 people out of every 1,000 residents have been tested, or 1 out of 42 (41.6) persons using population 369,758.
The State of Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) data also dated May 17th shows a total of 5,645 tests for Hamilton County, a difference of 3,254. The discrepancy for this data lies with the Hamilton County Laboratory at Baylor School. This lab has not yet achieved full electronic integration with the TDH data reporting. The lag in reporting accounts for the discrepancy between the Health Department’s local number and the TDH data.
The Health Department considers it a top priority to make free testing available to the public. The Health Department has dropped any requirements for testing, such as the need for an appointment, a physician’s referral, symptoms, or even an age requirement. Testing helps the Health Department identify cases early and allows for aggressive contact tracing to begin. Contact tracing seeks to identify any person with whom the infected person came into contact. These people are then asked to self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease, even if they do not have symptoms.
For COVID-19 information, visit the Health Department’s COVID-19 website or call the hotline at 209-8383.
