Story by Ashley Norman / Contributing Writer
Photo via Pexels
Increasing coronavirus infection rates continue to impact Rutherford County and surrounding areas, according to analyzed data from the Tennessee Department of Health.
Earlier this month, new COVID-19 case counts in Rutherford County began to climb after plateauing in September. Since Oct. 14, the county’s number of new cases averages at about 82 per day, with a current seven-day moving average of 85 and a positive test rate of 10 percent.
A seven-day moving average of COVID-19 cases measures the average number of new cases for the seven-day period ending on the specified date. This calculation helps to distinguish trends in data.
Rutherford County’s recent upward trend in newly confirmed cases began on Oct. 5, at a seven-day moving average of 57. One week later, new cases peaked at a seven-day moving average of 92 and a positive test rate of nearly 10 percent.
The data, which was analyzed by Ken Blake, a journalism professor who teaches data journalism, shows that COVID-19 case counts are also rising in Davidson and Williamson counties.
Despite Davidson County’s declining COVID-19 case counts in mid-September, numbers have continued to increase since Oct. 5. The county’s new cases are at a current seven-day moving average of 205— the highest recorded in the past six weeks—with a positivity rate of 5 percent.
Since Sept. 21, Williamson County’s seven-day moving average has increased from 34 to its current 73 new cases. The latest count is also the county’s highest recorded in the past six weeks. The positivity rate remains around 10 percent, the analyzed data shows.
Halloween is fast approaching, but it is important to remember that COVID-19 is still spreading throughout the area. With the start of the holiday season, citizens are urged to follow CDC guidelines to better protect themselves and others from possible infection.
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