Health Department Announces Potential COVID-19 Exposure at Funeral Services of Charles H. Coolidge


HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – The Hamilton County Health Department is notifying the public of a potential COVID-19 exposure that occurred at the funeral services of Charles H. Coolidge this weekend. Case investigations revealed that individuals attended funeral services during their infectious period of COVID-19.

It is recommended that guests or workers who attended any of the following services or rode in buses or shuttles to and from these services should monitor themselves for symptoms and be tested as soon as symptoms develop:

Thursday, April 15

  • Visitation at Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel, 7454 E. Brainerd Rd

Friday, April 16

  • Service at First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, 554 McCallie Ave.
  • Burial at the National Cemetery, 1200 Bailey Ave
  • Reception at National Medal of Honor, Heritage Ctr, 2 W. Aquarium Way

“Our deepest condolences go to the friends and family members for their loss and we regret further intrusion into your grief,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, “We encourage anyone who attended these services to monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested as soon as symptoms develop.”

Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, recent change in smell or taste, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or other symptoms as recognized by the CDC.

If you develop any unusual symptoms do not leave your house, except to visit a testing location or healthcare provider.

A list of testing locations can be found on the Health Department’s website here.

Additional Resources:

  • The Health Department’s general COVID-19 hotline 423-209-8383 is available to connect people to vaccine and testing resources. Hours are Monday-Friday from 8AM-4PM and Saturday 10AM-3PM. Bilingual representatives are available.
  • For general quarantine and isolation guidance, visit the CDC’s webpage here.
  • To decide when and if you should get tested for COVID-19, visit the Tennessee Department of Health’s Quarantine and Isolation Calculator here.
  • To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online, visit the Health Department’s vaccine webpage here or visit https://vaccinefinder.org/ to find another location near you.
  • To read this announcement in Spanish, visit our Spanish Facebook page at facebook.com/SaludHamiltonTN.

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