Tampa Bay Times

"After just over 60 percent of voters approved a constitutional amendment in November, the state’s minimum wage will go from $8.65 an hour — about $18,000 a year for a full-ti8me worker — to $10 on Thursday, with the rate for tipped workers moving up from $5.63 an hour to $6.98 an hour."

Tennessee minimum wage ..... $7.25/hour.

Knox County Schools are pulling their hair out. What to do? What to do?

As said by a student to WBIR, "I'm just not sure what the point of canceling school is. It seems like a pretty simple ask, that the judges telling us to enforce a mass policy. And we already did it last year. So I don't see a problem with doing it again," [L&N STEM Academy Junior, Ethan] Lindsey said."

From Sandra Clark, KnoxTNToday, "One thing I know. Factions must not use children in a political tug-of-war. We’re all tired of the coronavirus and the disruptions it has caused. But people are sick and some have died. Hospitals are full and health care workers are stressed beyond belief.

Let’s pull together to get through this. We can argue about politics later."

Can Knox County Schools and government act calmly and responsibly? Not sure. It seems they are getting pulled into the minority far right, 30%ers, hair on fire faction.

We received our Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at Walgreens yesterday. In and out very quickly. There were 2 others requesting the booster and one 30 something person requesting the first dose. You think the 30 something person had a concert they wanted to attend?

CBS News

"Many recipients of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine can now receive booster shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday, clearing the final hurdle for third doses to be rolled out nationwide this week."

Eligibility (after first two doses):
* seniors 65 and over,
* nursing home residents,
* adults at least 50 years old with "underlying medical conditions,
* those with underlying medical conditions or those who were "at increased risk" for COVID-19 exposure because of where they lived or worked, like health care providers and prisoners, "may" choose to receive a third dose. Occupations that may carry a higher risk of exposure also include teachers, grocery store workers and others

From Knox County, as of 9/24/2021,
and from State of Tennessee as of 9/24/2021,

since the inception of COVID-19, approx. 1/23/2020...

the Knox County Health Department reports 58,666 coronavirus cases and 14,388 probable cases. Over 353 cases a day as compared to two weeks prior (8/28/2021 to 9/10/2021) with 400 cases a day, as compared to two weeks prior (8/12/2021 to 8/27/2021) with nearly 200 cases a day. Whereas two weeks prior to that (7/28/2021 to 8/11/2021) there were nearly 100 new cases a day.

There have been 822 deaths due to coronavirus in Knox County.
That is up from 734 total deaths as of 9/10/2021.
88 deaths in two weeks as compared to 42 deaths in two weeks prior (8/27/2021 to 9/10/2021), as compared to 23 deaths in the just over 2 weeks prior(8/14/2021 to 8/27/2021). Whereas two weeks prior to that (7/30/2021 to 8/13/2021)there were 14 deaths in 2 weeks.

Deaths by age group (age breakdown as of 9/24/2021, Knox County count of 806 cases):

30 in the 18-44 age group (4%) (increase of 43% since 9/10/21)
149 in the 45-64 age group (18%) (increase of 19% since 9/10/21)
195 in the 65-74 age group (24%) (increase of 13% since 9/10/21)
432 in the 75+ age group (54%) (increase of 5% since 9/10/21)

As of 9/23/2021, there are
621 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in the Knox County region (down from 728 on 9/9/2021, up from 567 as of 8/25/2021, up from 333 as of 8/10/2021, up from 124 as of 7/27/2021, up from 43 as of 7/13/2021),

As of 9/23/2021 there are
170 COVID-19 patients in ICU (down from 181 as of 9/9/2021, up from 154 as of 8/25/2021, up from 96 as of 8/10/2021, up from 32 as of 7/27/2021, up from 11 as of 7/13/2021).

Hospitalizations up from a low of 21 on 7/4/21.

As of September 23, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 8.2% of 317 total ICU beds. *
As of September 9, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 3.5% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of August 26, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 0.3% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of August 10, 2021, ICU bed available capacity was at 3.5% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of July 27, 2021, ICU bed available capacity was at 6.6% of 317 total ICU beds.

As of September 23, 2021, the TN Dept of Health reports the average positivity rate over the past 7 days is 18.6%, down from 21.2% on 9/10/2021, down from 21.3% on 8/27/2021, down from 23.4% on 8/12/2021, up from 12.5% on 7/27/2021, up from 5.6% on 7/14/2021.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 9/17/2021:
% with 2 doses - 50.68% (up from 49.54% on 9/12/2021, up from 48.99% on 8/27/2021, up from 47.28% on 8/13/2021, up from 46.14% on 7/27/2021, up from 45.42% on 7/14/2021)
% with at least 1 dose - 57.04% (up from 56.10% on 9/12/2021, up from 54.66% on 8/27/2021, up from 52.43% on 8/13/2021, up from 50.22% on 7/27/2021, up from 49.09% on 7/14/2021)

COVID-19 deaths as reported by WBIR:

9/24/2021 8
9/23/2021 7
9/22/2021 5
9/21/2021 5
9/20/2021 9
9/19/2021 no report
9/18/2021 no report
9/17/2021 8
9/16/2021 6
9/15/2021 9
9/14/2021 15
9/13/2021 5

Total - 77

A total of 806 deaths have been reported by Knox County in the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 822 COVID-19 deaths in Knox County have been reported by the TN Dept of Health.

"A fair warning for your next trip to the liquor store: Several states across the U.S. are still experiencing booze shortages related to COVID-19, and it's unclear when supply will be able to meet demand."

"We order stuff and I don't even think the distributors know what's coming in," said Toddy’s Liquor and wine owner John Cook.
...
"We're getting about 65% of our orders. We'll get 100 items and 65 we'll get and 35 we won’t, and they have no idea when it's coming in," he said.

This is too much. A shortage of toilet paper is one thing, but a shortage of liquor? The horror.

It just keeps getting better.

"A Jacobs fundraiser is set for Oct. 28 at Hunter Valley Farm with former governor Bill Haslam and wife Crissy as hosts. Former county mayor Mike Ragsdale is working to pull it together."

Some have suggested Haslam would have been better than Lee or Jacobs. This proves he would have been no different.

Put up your flip flops and bring out your flannel shirts.

Wednesday, September 22 marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier.

WATE

"UT Medical Center is being sent a team of 20 clinical personnel and 3 admin personnel from the Department of Defense."

MASH units next?

"Currently, we [National Guard] have about 400 personnel, that’s medical and non-medical personnel, that are available and on orders. We have shifted every one of those personnel into facilities across the state, predominately in East Tennessee."

Bunch of dumba$$es in East TN? Hold my beer!

As seen on Twitter.

"Even dogs without vaccinations aren't allowed to hang around with dogs that are vaccinated."

WBIR

"Tennessee is delivering 7,000 doses of monoclonal antibodies per week"

Tennessean/Knoxnews (subscription required)

"The Tennessee state government now recommends nearly all vaccinated residents be denied access to monoclonal antibody treatment in a new effort to preserve a limited supply of antibody drugs for those who remain most vulnerable to the virus, largely by their own choice."

"Tennessee’s top health official, Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey, said Friday the new eligibility recommendation was “logical”...

!!!!$$$%%%&&&!!!!

Would it not be more logical to require vaccines in more situations???!!!???

There are so many of us doing the right things to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At this time we cannot control others that do not care about society as a whole. They appear to only care about themselves and what "fun" they can have.

Our hospitals and ICUs are full. The doctors and nurses are overwhelmed. They are begging everyone that is of age to get a vaccine. But no, those people unwilling to vaccinate want special treatment for being a$$#@!@&.

WTF???!!!

"Tennessee has the most coronavirus infections of all U.S. states in the past 14 days and over the entire pandemic when adjusted for population...

Tennessee’s governor has no plans to help citizens. No help to pay for the cost of cases. No help to lower the number of cases. No help for the workers practically killing themselves to keep our healthcare system working.

What a useless man is our governor. No compassion for his fellow citizens. Alas, he is not unique. Our two U.S. senators and most of our U.S. representatives (yes you Burchett), and most of the Tennessee legislators are also useless.

From Knox County, as of 9/10/2021,
and from State of Tennessee as of 9/10/2021,

since the inception of COVID-19, approx. 1/23/2020...

the Knox County Health Department reports 53,716 coronavirus cases and 12,714 probable cases. Over 400 cases a day as compared to two weeks prior (8/12/2021 to 8/27/2021) with nearly 200 cases a day. Whereas two weeks prior to that (7/28/2021 to 8/11/2021) there were nearly 100 new cases a day.

There have been 734 deaths due to coronavirus in Knox County.
That is up from 692 total deaths reported as of August 27, 2021.
42 deaths in two weeks as compared to 23 deaths in the just over 2 weeks prior (8/14/2021 to 8/27/2021) Whereas two weeks prior to that (7/30/2021 to 8/13/2021)there were 14 deaths in 2 weeks.

Deaths by age group (age breakdown as of 9/10/2021, Knox County count of 729 cases):

21 in the 18-44 age group (3%) (increase of 40% since 8/27/21)
125 in the 45-64 age group (17%) (increase of 9% since 8/27/21)
173 in the 65-74 age group (24%) (increase of 11% since 8/27/21)
410 in the 75+ age group (56%) (increase of 3% since 8/27/21)

As of 9/9/2021, there are
728 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in the Knox County region (up from 567 as of 8/25/2021, up from 333 as of 8/10/2021, up from 124 as of 7/27/2021, up from 43 as of 7/13/2021),

As of 9/9/2021 there are
181 in ICU (up from 154 as of 8/25/2021, up from 96 as of 8/10/2021, up from 32 as of 7/27/2021, up from 11 as of 7/13/2021).

Hospitalizations up from a low of 21 on 7/4/21 and has been rising since.

As of September 9, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 3.5% of 317 total ICU beds. ** Seems like that could only be possible if non-coronavirus ICU bed usage has gone down since the number of in use by coronavirus patients ICU beds increased by 27 in the last two weeks.
As of August 26, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 0.3% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of August 26, 2021, ICU bed available capacity is at 0.3% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of August 10, 2021, ICU bed available capacity was at 3.5% of 317 total ICU beds.
As of July 27, 2021, ICU bed available capacity was at 6.6% of 317 total ICU beds.

As of September 10, 2021, the TN Dept of Health reports the average positivity rate over the past 7 days is 21.2%, down from 21.3% on 8/27/2021, down from 23.4% on 8/12/2021, up from 12.5% on 7/27/2021, up from 5.6% on 7/14/2021.

Vaccinations reported, last updated 9/12/2021:
% with 2 doses - 49.54% (up from 48.99% on 8/27/2021, up from 47.28% on 8/13/2021, up from 46.14% on 7/27/2021, up from 45.42% on 7/14/2021)
% with at least 1 dose - 56.10% (up from 54.66% on 8/27/2021, up from 52.43% on 8/13/2021, up from 50.22% on 7/27/2021, up from 49.09% on 7/14/2021)

"The publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press is investing millions of dollars in a plan to convert the newspaper's print subscribers to a mostly digital format".

Delivery of a physical newspaper will cease by mid-2022 with the exception of the Sunday edition.

Times they are a changing.

Went to two grocery stores this morning. Saw more mask wearing customers than have seen in months. Impressive. Was it the mobile morgues delivered to Blount Memorial Hospital?

Blount Memorial Hospital is bringing in a "mobile morgue, saying it has become "sadly necessary" to ensure there is enough morgue space after seeing 24 deaths due to COVID-19 since the beginning of August."

"People are dying needlessly in this community, and they’re going to continue at alarming rates if we don’t work together to stop this virus," Blount Memorial said Wednesday shortly after it announced the measure. "There are people dying of COVID-19, but we’re still caring for a lot of very sick people in our community who do not have COVID but who experience medical emergencies such as heart attacks, stroke, car accidents and so on."

What the $%@&!

On Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, Tennessee led all U.S. states and territories in new coronavirus cases, adjusted to account for population.

On Sunday, Kentucky's governor "described the state’s surge of Covid cases as “dire,” and pointed out that Republican state lawmakers had limited his options to control the record wave of infections there."

Whereas, Tennessee's surge is actually worse than Kentucky's. No Tennessee government official's worried about our state of surge. More so just encouraging citizens to go out and spread the sadness.

Several East Tennessee hospitals (Blount Memorial Hospital, Covenant Health, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Sweetwater Hospital Association, Tennova Healthcare and The University of Tennessee Medical Center) signed an open letter to East Tennesseans urging vaccinations amid growing capacity concerns on Wednesday. In the letter, officials asked people to practice safe COVID actions and get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Alas, to what end? Approximately 23 people in Knox County died from the coronavirus last week. Healthcare workers are exhausted and not respected. This is a sad state. Citizens are not expected to care about each other. Whatta ya gonna do?

From WATE,

"Dear Central families,

This is your principal, Andrew Brown, with an important message. Our school will move to online learning beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7, through Friday, Sept. 10..."

"While no specific reason is given, the move comes as absences among students and staff at schools in Knox County and the state have continued to climb. Knox County School’s COVID-19 dashboard shows nearly 680 active cases, 594 students and 85 staff members, across the entire school system."

Look, away. Move along. No problems in Knox County.
Hopefully you don't need any hospital services.

According to WBIR election results, all of the incumbent City of Knoxville City Council members running for office received the most votes in the election primary.

Tommy Smith - First District
Andrew Roberto - Second District
Seema Singh - Third District
Lauren Rider - Fourth District
Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie - Sixth District

Each of them has someone running against them in the regular election on November 2. As reported earlier elsewhere, the Knox County Republican Committee backed the five primary candidates with the lesser votes. It is reported that this was "the first time in recent memory, at least, that one of the two parties has publicly backed a slate of candidates." Maybe it is just as well that they don't back any candidates in this election.

Elizabeth Murphy - First District
Kim Smith - Second District
Nicholas Ciparro - Third District
Jim Klonaris - Fourth District
Garrett Holt - Sixth District

City of Knoxville voters will decide on candidates for City Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.

Knox County Election Commission

How to vote in Knoxville’s August 31 election if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19