DeKalb County’s COVID-19 fatality rate exceeds state average

December 21, 2020
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DeKalb County’s COVID-19 fatality rate exceeds state average

DeKalb County’s current fatality rate of 1.49 percent for COVID-19-related deaths surpasses the state average of 1.17 percent. The county ranks seventh among 14 counties of the Upper Cumberland region in COVID-19 mortality as of December 20.

The fatality rate for the disease in DeKalb County outpaces all six of its neighboring counties, including Wilson County. Wilson has more cases than any Upper Cumberland County at 10,770 reported, but its death rate is 1.04 percent.

In the two-week period from December 6 to December 20 the state saw an increase of 119,093 positive cases, a growth 29.73 percent. DeKalb County cases rose by 40.53 percent during that same span.

In a broadcast on Sunday Governor Lee implored Tennesseans to stay home through the remainder of the holiday season.

“Now, Tennessee is Ground Zero for a surge in sickness,” Governor Lee said.

COVID-19 Fatality Rates in Upper Cumberland as of December 20

Rank- County-Cases-Deaths- Fatality Rate

1 Pickett (493 cases) (17 deaths) (3.45% rate)
2 Clay (768 cases) (21 deaths) (2.73% rate)
3 Jackson (873 cases) (18 deaths) (2.06% rate)
4 Overton (1,916 cases) (39 deaths) (2.04% rate)
5 Fentress (1,672 cases) (27 deaths) (1.61% rate)
6 Macon (2,351 cases) (36 deaths) (1.53% rate)
7 DeKalb (1,817 cases) (27 deaths) (1.49% rate)
8 White (2,461 cases) (36 deaths) (1.46% rate)
9 Putnam (7,717 cases) (108 deaths) (1.40% rate)
10 Cumberland (3,723 cases) (48 deaths) (1.29% rate)
11 Smith (1,863 cases) (23 deaths) (1.23% rate)
12 Van Buren (510 cases) (5 deaths) (0.98% rate)
13 Warren (3,783 cases) (29 deaths) (0.77% rate)
14 Cannon (1,207 cases) (7 deaths) (0.58% rate)
Upper Cumberland (31,154 cases) (441 deaths) (rate 1.42%)
Tennessee (519,687 cases) (6,071 deaths) (1.17% rate)
Source: Tennessee Department of Health

DeKalb County ‘s COVID-19 infection rate among Tennessee counties (per capita) has dropped to 17th at 168.7 per 100,000 residents and to 49th nationally according to COVID Act Now (CAN).

(Click link below to view CAN report on DeKalb County)
https://www.covidactnow.org/us/tennessee-tn/county/de_kalb_county?

As of Sunday December 20, the Tennessee Department of Health reported a total of 31 new COVID-19 cases in DeKalb County bringing the total number of active cases to 337 and the confirmed or probable cases to 1,848 since March. A total of 1,484 are inactive or have recovered. There have been 27 COVID related deaths in DeKalb County this year and 36 have been hospitalized.

(Click Link Below for DeKalb County Report)
https://covid19.tn.gov/data/dashboards/?County=Dekalb

December 20, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Members of the local AmVets Ladies Auxiliary have done their part this holiday season to make sure children in the community have a merrier Christmas.

The organization’s annual “Toys for Tots” project was held Saturday at the Midway Community Center where parents and others could pickup toys and clothes for kids in time for gift giving.

“We have been doing Toys for Tots for about 10 years and it’s to serve the community of Smithville and DeKalb County. We know parents have a very hard time sometimes and need help with gifts so we feel the need to give back to the community and to our veterans and their families,” said Crystal Mason, local AmVets Ladies Auxiliary Chaplain.

Funds are raised throughout the year in support of “Toys for Tots” and other community projects.

“We raise our money so at the end of the year we can go out and buy new toys for the kids. We have also had some people bring in new toys and donate to us,” said Mason.

Due to COVID-19, Mason said appointments were scheduled 20 minutes apart for those who had pre-registered to pickup toys.

“Instead of letting the kids and parents come in together because of COVID we scheduled appointments so that we could keep the room clean between visits and keep parents and others safe when they came in to get toys for their child,” said Mason.

A few hours were set aside at the end of the day for people who had not pre-registered to walk-in one at a time and get toys.

Masks were provided for visitors who entered without one along with hand sanitizer.

Savannah Wilkerson, one of the parents who picked up toys, said she appreciates what the Local AmVets Ladies Auxiliary is doing for the community.

“This means a lot to people because many are having a hard time right now especially with COVID-19 and it means a lot to my family too,” she said.

In addition to “Toys for Tots”, the AmVets Ladies Auxiliary sponsors other community projects.

“We also do things for Saint Jude Children’s Hospital. We visit veterans at the VA hospital although we have not been able to this year because of COVID-19. We also support Paws with a Cause, an organization that custom trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities, and we sponsor an annual community Easter Egg hunt at Greenbrook Park,” said Vickey Milligan, 2nd Vice President in the local AmVets Ladies Auxiliary over Child Welfare projects.

December 19, 2020
By:

During the 99th annual meeting of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation on December 6, 2020, DeKalb County Farm Bureau was recognized for reaching the highest standards possible in membership, programs and teamwork.

The Pinnacle Partnership Award is the highest recognition a county Farm Bureau may receive. It is evidenced by the cooperation between volunteer leaders, agents and staff. DeKalb County Farm Bureau is to be commended for their hard work and well-earned success over the past year.

DeKalb County Farm Bureau was recognized with the Pinnacle Partnership Award for their exemplary records over the past year. They received a plaque with the bronze Pinnacle Partnership medallion.

Tennessee Farm Bureau is the largest Farm Bureau in the nation with a membership more than 675,000 and is a farm organization whose goal is to develop, foster, promote and protect programs for the general welfare, including economic, social, educational and political well-being of farm people of the great state of Tennessee.