I'm thinking this is not what is on people's minds right now.

"Amid the general collapse of the service economy during the pandemic — think retail or restaurants — appliance repair technicians are seeing explosive demand for their services as families adjust to living at home 24/7, sometimes with adult children, elderly parents or in-laws expanding households and putting more wear and tear on refrigerators and dishwashers.
...
The strain of relentless domesticity is showing up in overworked or, in some cases, previously untouched appliances. America’s stay-at-home workers have had to deploy ovens used to store shoes to actually cook meals. Fridges are constantly mined for snacks, and dry-cleaned suits have been replaced with day pajamas that double as napkins. The machines can take only so much.
...

Though not ordinarily this dramatic, there has always been more demand than supply for appliance repair technicians, business owners and industry associations say. It’s a career that can offer good pay, job security and mobility — yet there are never enough takers. The pandemic has just exacerbated the underlying factors, finally putting the spotlight on a previously overlooked essential worker, they argue."

You can make good money, have some freedoms away from an office or store, and provide a service that could be in demand for years.

Coronavirus cases up 6.5%.
Coronavirus hospitalizations up again this week, 8.2% , up 53.5% from two weeks ago.
Spike in coronavirus deaths, 7 deaths in the past week.

** Positivity rate = 8.6% *** 7-day average is 9.76%.
Positivity rate preferred to be below 5%.

The Knox County Health Department reports

11,479 coronavirus cases and 495 probable cases.

That's 702 new cases in the past week,
That's a 6.5% increase over a week ago.

There are 66 Knox County COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized.
Five more than a week ago.

There have been 93 deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.
Seven deaths due to COVID-19 in the past week.
That's a 8.2% increase in deaths in the past week (86 as of October 10).

5 in the 18-44 age group (5%)
21 in the 45-64 age group (23%)
23 in the 65-74 age group (25%)
44 in the 75+ age group (47%)

** Change in data used for tests conducted on Knox County residents coincide with the new positivity rate added to the website,
Coronavirus test counts nearly double from all previous data.
Hard to imagine why the data is so different.

*From the Knox County, TN, website: "October 14, 2020: To better coincide with the new positivity rate added to the website, KCHD is now using Tennessee Department of Health data (PCR tests only) to calculate testing volume in Knox County. Lag times will still be calculated using a sample data set from Knox County. All values have been updated from April 1, 2020, when testing data became available."

Whereas last Sunday, 9/27/2020, Knox County Health Dept. was showing 3,880 coronavirus tests conducted, the number now is 7,545.
A week ago for the week of 9/20/2020, they showed 3,790 coronavirus test were conducted, the number now is 8,375, etc.

As of October 13, 2020, ICU Bed availability is at 13.7%. (278 ICU beds total with 38 beds available) .
ICU bed availability is up as compared to a week ago.
(Note, the week of 9/1/2020, ICU bed capacity was 278, then the week of 9/8/2020, ICU bed capacity was raised to 374, then the week of Sept. 22 ICU bed capacity has been reduced back down to 278.)
(Note, prior to the 8/4/2020 report, ICU bed capacity was 272. It would appear that Knox County hospitals have increased ICU bed capacity by 6 beds.)

The County Health Department has a map with the number of coronavirus cases per zip code.
On October 16, 2020, these zip codes were reported with the most cases:
(last reported on October 9)

37918 has the most cases with 983 cases (population 44,476) (15.6% increase)
37920 with 922 cases (population 39,000) (16.1% increase)
37916 with 860 cases (population 12,507) (1.8% increase)
37921 with 709 cases (population 28,000) (11.8% increase)
37922 with 653 cases (population 41,539) (18.1% increase)
37919 with 650 cases (population 28,000) (16.1% increase)
37923 with 581 cases (population 30,000) (21.3% increase)
37917 with 556 cases (population 27,000) (10.8% increase)

Be careful out there.

** Positivity rate = 8.62% ***

There has been a steady increase in coronavirus (covid-19) cases in Tennessee.

According to the TN Dept. of Health,

223,493 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in TN and
2,871 have died from it.

That is an additional 10,844 cases in one week and an additional 113 reported deaths.

3,294,056 tests have been given to Tennessee residents.
That is an additional 162,517 tests in the past week.

Hospitalizations appear to have increased. From October 10 to October 16 (6 days) the number of patients hospitalized for the coronavirus has increased by 12.3% (by 128 from 1,038 to 1,166).

6.8% of TN residents tested for the coronavirus have tested positive for the coronavirus.

47.8% of the 6.89 million people estimated to live in TN have been tested for the coronavirus.
However, that may not be true. it is not known how tests are counted when a single person gets tested multiple times. Certain people in certain fields of work (medical, education, sports) or physical ability (nursing home residents, hospital patients) may get tested multiple times.

Be careful out there.

Drove through Gatlinburg today. It was packed. It appeared 30%, maybe, of the people were wearing masks. We were afraid to roll down our windows. Hundreds of cars were heading to Cades Cove. There was a flashing sign warning of 4 hour wait to drive through. The Laurel Falls trail was packed. No way to social distance. Masks? Don't think so.

Cars from California, New York, and every where in between.

Coronavirus cases us 6.8%.
Coronavirus hospitalizations up 41.8%.
ICU bed availability down to 11.2%.

The Knox County Health Department reports

10.777 coronavirus cases and 495 probable cases.

That's 688 new cases in the past week,
That's a 6.8% increase over a week ago.

There are 61 Knox County COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized.
Eighteen more than a week ago.

There have been 86 total deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.
Two deaths due to COVID-19 in the past week.
That's a 2.4% increase in deaths in the past week (84 as of October 3).

5 in the 18-44 age group (6%)
20 in the 45-64 age group (23%)
21 in the 65-74 age group (24%)
40 in the 75+ age group (47%)

Tests conducted on Knox County residents are remain down,
3,880 week of Sept. 27, 3,790 week of Sept. 20, 4,223 week of Sept 13, 4,243 week of Sept. 6, 4,388 week of August 30, 3,660 week of August 23, 4,139 week of August 16, 4,150 week of August 9, 4,567 week of August 2, 4,412 week of July 19, 4,219 week of July 26 as compared to the higher number of tests done at the end of June and the first two weeks of July,
4,425 week of June 28, 5,401 week of July 5, 5,994 week of July 12.

As of October 6, 2020, ICU Bed availability is at 11.2%. (278 ICU beds total with 31 beds available) .
ICU bed availability is down over 6% as compared to two weeks ago.
(Note, the week of 9/1/2020, ICU bed capacity was 278, then the week of 9/8/2020, ICU bed capacity was raised to 374, then the week of Sept. 22 ICU bed capacity has been reduced back down to 278.)
(Note, prior to the 8/4/2020 report, ICU bed capacity was 272. It would appear that Knox County hospitals have increased ICU bed capacity by 6 beds.)

The County Health Department has a map with the number of coronavirus cases per zip code.
On October 1, 2020, these zip codes were reported with the most cases:
(last reported on September 24)

37918 has the most cases with 850 cases (population 44,476) (3.1% increase)
37916 with 845 cases (population 12,507) (3.1% increase)
37918 with 850 cases (population 44,476) (7.1% increase)
37920 with 794 cases (population 39,000) (5.3% increase)
37921 with 709 cases (population 28,000) (4.6% increase)
37919 with 560 cases (population 28,000) (3.9% increase)
37922 with 553 cases (population 41,539) (8.9% increase)
37917 with 502 cases (population 27,000) (5.0% increase)
37923 with 479 cases (population 30,000) (5.5% increase)

Be careful out there.

Coronavirus cases rise dramatically, by 50%.
Hospitalizations up by nearly 20%.
Deaths up 6.5%.

There has been a steady increase in coronavirus (covid-19) cases in Tennessee.

According to the TN Dept. of Health,

212,649 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in TN and
2,758 have died from it.

That is an additional 13,054 cases in one week and an additional 198 reported deaths.

3,131,539 tests have been given to Tennessee residents.
That is an additional 202,730 tests in the past week.

Hospitalizations appear to have increased. From October 3 to October 10 (7 days) the number of patients hospitalized for the coronavirus has increased by 19.5% (by 167 from 855 to 1022).

6.8% of TN residents tested for the coronavirus have tested positive for the coronavirus.

45.5% of the 6.89 million people estimated to live in TN have been tested for the coronavirus.
However, that may not be true. it is not known how tests are counted when a single person gets tested multiple times. Certain people in certain fields of work (medical, education, sports) or physical ability (nursing home residents, hospital patients) may get tested multiple times.

Be careful out there.

I now think of this every time I go out and see someone with a mask below their nose.

Knox County Health Dept.: Region COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record high; hospitals urge public to get tested, follow guidelines

Harris excelled in VP debate.

Joe Biden for President!
Kamala Harris for Vice President!

Although, a fly may have drawn the most attention.

As an essential business, a member of the Sevierville community we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items during this time. We also understand this community has been hit especially hard by COVID-19. Health officials are working to curb the impact of this pandemic, and we want to be a part of the solution. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Sevierville Supercenter location at 1414 Parkway, starting at 2pm on Wednesday, October 7, as part of a company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community during this time. We plan to reopen to customers at 7 a.m. on Friday, October 9th.

The Knox County Health Department reports

10,089 coronavirus cases and 438 probable cases.

That's 499 new cases in the past week,
That's a 5.2% increase over a week ago.

There are 43 Knox County COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized.
Four more than a week ago.

There have been 84 total deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.
Three deaths due to COVID-19 in the past week.
That's a 4% increase in deaths in the past week (81 as of September 26).

5 in the 18-44 age group (6%)
20 in the 45-64 age group (24%)
20 in the 65-74 age group (24%)
39 in the 75+ age group (46%)

Tests conducted on Knox County residents are dropping again,
3,680 week of Sept. 20, 4,223 week of Sept 13, 4,243 week of Sept. 6, 4,388 week of August 30, 3,660 week of August 23, 4,139 week of August 16, 4,150 week of August 9, 4,567 week of August 2, 4,412 week of July 19, 4,219 week of July 26
as compared to the higher number of tests done at the end of June and the first two weeks of July,
4,425 week of June 28, 5,401 week of July 5, 5,994 week of July 12.

As of September 29, 2020, ICU Bed availability is at 13.7%. (278 ICU beds total with 38 beds available) .
ICU bed availability is down over 4% as compared to last week.
(Note, the week of 9/1/2020, ICU bed capacity was 278, then the week of 9/8/2020, ICU bed capacity was raised to 374, then the week of Sept. 22 ICU bed capacity has been reduced back down to 278.)
(Note, prior to the 8/4/2020 report, ICU bed capacity was 272. It would appear that Knox County hospitals have increased ICU bed capacity by 6 beds.)

The County Health Department has a map with the number of coronavirus cases per zip code.
On October 1, 2020, these zip codes were reported with the most cases:
(last reported on September 24)

37916 has the most cases with 820 cases (population 12,507) (4.2% increase)
37918 with 794 cases (population 44,476) (3.9% increase)
37920 with 754 cases (population 39,000) (0.9% decrease)
37921 with 678 cases (population 28,000) (3.6% decrease)
37919 with 539 cases (population 28,000) (1.8% decrease)
37922 with 508 cases (population 41,539) (4.5% decrease)
37917 with 478 cases (population 27,000) (0.2% decrease)
37923 with 454 cases (population 30,000) (2.8% decrease)

Be careful out there.

Deaths up.
Hospitalizations up.
Tests given down.

There has been a steady increase in coronavirus (covid-19) cases in Tennessee.

According to the TN Dept. of Health,

199,595 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in TN and
2,560 have died from it.

That is an additional 8,704 cases in one week and an additional 186 reported deaths.

2,928,809 tests have been given to Tennessee residents.
That is an additional 145,965 tests in the past week.

Hospitalizations appear to have increased. From September 26 to October 3 (7 days) the number of patients hospitalized for the coronavirus has increased by 15.7% (by 116 from 739 to 855).

6.8% of TN residents tested for the coronavirus have tested positive for the coronavirus.

42.5% of the 6.89 million people estimated to live in TN have been tested for the coronavirus.
However, that may not be true. it is not known how tests are counted when a single person gets tested multiple times. Certain people in certain fields of work (medical, education, sports) or physical ability (nursing home residents, hospital patients) may get tested multiple times.

Be careful out there.

Governor Bill Lee’s controversial “school voucher” program suffered another blow Tuesday when the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision that the Education Savings Account Act is unconstitutional.

The ESA program, also known as “school vouchers," would give more than $7,000 in state money to qualifying parents in Shelby and Davidson counties to help send students to private schools.
...
Both counties sued over the program, saying it violated “Home Rule” protections because it only applies to the two counties.

A Trump-appointed Nashville federal judge on Tuesday prevented a new law requiring abortion providers to offer medically questionable information to women seeking abortions from going into effect.
...
“violates the First Amendment by requiring abortion providers to convey a mandated message that is misleading.”

We have a Trumpian government in Tennessee. Would someone please stop the clownish TN legislature from wasting time and money.

Here's the deal...

Joe Biden for President!

Ashley Capps at the Knox County Commission meeting last night,

We hear a lot about freedom these days … but not so much about the personal responsibility, the self-discipline and sacrifice that this freedom requires in order to preserve it and protect it.

We hear about the individual rights enshrined in our Constitution, but not so much about its commitments to provide for the common welfare, for the protection of the American people as whole.

Well said. So many, including the Knox County Mayor, don't appear to understand the concept.

The county has reported 81 total coronavirus-related deaths, 76 of which have come since July 2.
The county reported 19 deaths in the month of August and 23 so far in September.

The Knox County Health Department reports
9,590 coronavirus cases and 415 probable cases.

That's 542 new cases in the past week,

That's a 6% increase over a week ago.

There are 39 Knox County COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized.
Ten more than a week ago.

There have been 81 total deaths in Knox County from COVID-19.
Eight deaths due to COVID-19 in the past week.

That's a 11% increase in deaths in the past week (73 as of September 19).

5 in the 18-44 age group (6%)
19 in the 45-64 age group (23%)
20 in the 65-74 age group (25%)
37 in the 75+ age group (46%)

Tests conducted on Knox County residents are dropping again,
3,709 week of Sept 13, 4,241 week of Sept. 6, 4,388 week of August 30, 3,660 week of August 23, 4,139 week of August 16, 4,150 week of August 9, 4,567 week of August 2, 4,412 week of July 19, 4,219 week of July 26
as compared to the higher number of tests done at the end of June and the first two weeks of July,
4,425 week of June 28, 5,401 week of July 5, 5,994 week of July 12.

As of September 22, 2020, ICU Bed availability is at 18.0%. (278 ICU beds total with 50 beds available) .
(Note, the week of 9/1/2020, ICU bed capacity was 278, then the week of 9/8/2020, ICU bed capacity was raised to 374, then the week of Sept. 22 ICU bed capacity has been reduced back down to 278.)
(Note, prior to the 8/4/2020 report, ICU bed capacity was 272. It would appear that Knox County hospitals have increased ICU bed capacity by 6 beds.)

The County Health Department has a map with the number of coronavirus cases per zip code.
On September 24, 2020, these zip codes were reported with the most cases:
(last reported on September 10)

37916 has the most cases with 787 738 cases (population 12,507) (6.6% increase)
37918 with 764 cases (population 44,476) (13.5% increase)
37920 with 760 cases (population 39,000) (14.8% increase)
37921 with 703 cases (population 28,000) (11.0% increase)
37919 with 549 cases (population 28,000) (14.1% increase)
37922 with 532 cases (population 41,539) (14.9% decrease)
37917 with 477 cases (population 27,000) (11.2% increase)
37923 with 467 cases (population 30,000) (11.2% decrease)

Be careful out there.

Nearly 10,000 newly tested positives have been occuring each week.
Over 100 deaths have been occuring each week.

From reports dated as of September 26, 2020.

There has been a steady increase in coronavirus (covid-19) cases in Tennessee.

According to the TN Dept. of Health,

190,891 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in TN and
2,374 have died from it.

That is an additional 9,052 cases in one week and an additional 158 reported deaths.

2,782,844 tests have been given to Tennessee residents.
That is an additional 161,753 tests in the past week.

Hospitalizations appear to have increased. From September 19 to September 26 (7 days) the number of patients hospitalized for the coronavirus has decreased by 11.6% (by 77 from 662 to 739).

6.9% of TN residents tested for the coronavirus have tested positive for the coronavirus.

40.2% of the 6.89 million people estimated to live in TN have been tested for the coronavirus.
However, that may not be true. it is not known how tests are counted when a single person gets tested multiple times. Certain people in certain fields of work (medical, education, sports) or physical ability (nursing home residents, hospital patients) may get tested multiple times.

Be careful out there.

There are signs that caught my attention while driving along Neyland Drive the other day.

No Parking Anytime - Including ball games

Have to take the explanation a step farther for sports fans?

Pellissippi State Community College enrollment down 12.7%.

Across Tennessee’s community colleges, the head count this uemester is down 10.2% compared to 2019.

For Pellissippi State, the sharpest drop appears to be in adult students who apply for the Tennessee Reconnect program. The “last-dollar” grant is applied to tuition and mandatory fees after federal and state aid.

From the Washington Post,

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center on Thursday released its first look at fall enrollment... showing fewer students are pursuing undergraduate degrees this semester as the coronavirus continues to sow fears of infection and devastate the economy.

Community colleges reported the steepest declines at 8 percent, continuing a downward trend that the Clearinghouse took notice of over the summer.
...
Martha Parham, a senior vice president and spokeswoman for the American Association of Community Colleges, said the early data aligns with what the trade organization is hearing from member schools. Many of them serve students who have suffered job losses and no longer can afford to take classes or are struggling to juggle work while caring for children stuck at home. Another major hurdle, she said, is the lack of reliable broadband for students whose courses are virtual.
...
Public four-year institutions are faring better than their private counterparts at the undergraduate level, the data shows. State schools in urban areas witnessed a slight uptick in enrollment, although those in rural settings reported a slide.