Photo by Luc Brown
There were three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Madison County as of 4 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department.
The department said it received positive test results Thursday from a private laboratory for the county’s third case, which is a 73-year-old female who recently traveled out of state.
The release said the woman is currently self-quarantined at home and the department’s epidemiology staff are currently reaching out to people who had contact with her.
The news of the third case was released as the department, along with West Tennessee Healthcare, tested 67 people for COVID-19 at the COVID-19 drive-through assessment testing site at the Jackson Fairgrounds Thursday.
The release said 26 people were turned away because they did not qualify for testing.
Officials also said the COVID-19 assessment site will NOT be open Friday.
There will be COVID-19 assessment and testing by the Tennessee Department of Health throughout West Tennessee in addition to those currently occurring at every rural West Tennessee county health department.
The following sites will be open Friday, March 27:
Henry County Health Department, 803 Joy St. in Paris
Gibson County Health Department, 1250 Manufacturer’s Row in Trenton
Tipton County Health Department, 4700 Mueller Brass Rd. in Covington
Fayette County Health Department, 90 Yum Yum Rd. in Somerville
Hardin County Health Department, 1920 Pickwick St. in Savannah
Dyer County Health Department, 1755 Parr Ave. in Dyersburg. The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
For a full list of statewide COVID-19 assessment sites, visit https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/remote-assessment-sites.html.
JMCR Health Department officials said 27 Madison County residents have tested negative for COVID-19 at the Tennessee Department of Health State Public Health Laboratory. Five tests are still pending at the state lab, with one sample being unsatisfactory.
The health department said it received 39 negatives from private labs.
Statewide, the Department of Health is reporting 957 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 76 hospitalizations and three deaths. News Channel 5, which is keeping an independent count of cases in the state, using information from both the Department of Health and local health agencies, is reporting 1,098 cases.