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KCHD reports 403 active COVID-19 cases, lowest since mid-July 2021

The numbers may vary slightly from the official state numbers because of reporting differences.

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — The Knox County Health Department reports its COVID-19 statistics at this link. On Jan. 7, 2022, the department announced it would be posting its data weekly on Wednesdays instead of daily to align with the Tennessee Department of Health.

The numbers may vary slightly from the official state numbers that are released weekly here because of reporting differences. You can always find the latest COVID-19 information here. 

The Knox County Health Department is now reporting its COVID-19 statistics weekly instead of daily. 

March 16

For the week ending on Saturday, March 12, KCHD reported 403 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 315 cases from the previous week. 122 new cases were reported in the previous week.

Credit: WBIR

As of Saturday, 121 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 44 from the previous week. 35 people were in the ICU, with 19 on ventilators.

Credit: KCHD

KCHD reported 12 new COVID-19 deaths. However, only eight of these deaths actually occurred in this past week. Some COVID-19 deaths are identified and only added after they are reviewed by KCHD. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,305

March 9 

For the week ending on Saturday, March 5, KCHD reported 718 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 772 cases from the previous week. 256 new cases were reported in the previous week.

As of Saturday, 165 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 89 from the previous week. 44 people were in the ICU, with 24 on ventilators.

KCHD reported 23 new COVID-19 deaths. However, only nine of these deaths actually occurred in this past week. Some COVID-19 deaths are identified and only added after they are reviewed by KCHD. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,293.

March 2

For the week ending on Saturday, Feb. 26, KCHD reported 1,490 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 1,635 cases from the previous week. 486 new cases were reported in the previous week.

Credit: KCHD

As of Saturday, 246 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 139 from the previous week. 68 people were in the ICU, with 39 on ventilators.

Credit: KCHD

KCHD reported 15 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous week. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,270.

Credit: KCHD

February 23

For the week ending on Saturday, Feb. 19, KCHD reported 3,125 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 2,508 cases from the previous week, the lowest since late December. 1,109 new cases were reported in the previous week, the lowest since mid-December.

Credit: WBIR

As of Saturday, 385 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 140 from the previous week. 100 people were in the ICU, with 63 on ventilators, the lowest reported since early to mid-January.

Credit: WBIR

KCHD reported 21 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous week. 109 deaths reportedly occurred in January and 63 were in February. This means, for February, Knox County is still losing one person to COVID-19 every eight hours on average.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,255.

Credit: WBIR

February 16

For the week ending on Saturday, Feb. 12, KCHD reported 5,633 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 4,276 cases from the previous week. 3,523 new cases were reported in the previous week.

Credit: Grace King

As of Saturday, 525 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 84 from the previous week. 115 people were in the ICU, with 78 on ventilators.

Credit: WBIR

KCHD reported 50 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous week, however, 24 of these deaths occurred earlier in February and January. 26 people died from COVID-19 during the most recent reporting period.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,234

Credit: WBIR

February 9

The Knox County Department of Health reported continued sharp decreases in new and active COVID-19 cases as the omicron surge recedes.

For the week ending on Saturday, Feb. 5, KCHD reported 9,909 active COVID-19 cases -- down by 3,900 cases from the previous week. 2,017 new cases were reported in the previous week.

Credit: WBIR

As of Saturday, 609 people in the region were in the hospital with COVID-19, down by 50 from the previous week. 129 people were in the ICU, with 85 on ventilators.

Credit: WBIR

KCHD reported 24 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous week, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,184.

Credit: WBIR

February 2

For the reporting week ending on Saturday, January 29, Knox County reported 13,809 active COVID-19 cases.

As of January 29, 659 people across the region were in the hospital with COVID-19. The number of people in the ICU rose to 136 with 80 on ventilators.

KCHD reported 30 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous reporting period, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,160.

January 26

For the reporting week ending on Saturday, January 22, Knox County reported a record 14,630 active COVID-19 cases and rising. Over 6,700 new cases were reported in Knox County in the last week, the most ever. In Knox County, there are more people sick than ever before. Nearly 1 in 2 people who get tested, have COVID.

Hospitalizations in Knox County are still rising. As of January 22, 556 people across the region were in the hospital with COVID-19. The number of people in the ICU rose to 120 with 72 on ventilators.

KCHD reported 39 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous reporting period, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,130.

Credit: WBIR

January 19

The Knox County Health Department is now reporting its COVID-19 statistics weekly instead of daily. KCHD released the report for the prior week on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

For the reporting week ending on Saturday, January 15, Knox County reported a record 12,188 active COVID-19 cases and rising. Over 5,400 new cases were reported in Knox County during the period between Jan. 9-15.

Hospitalizations in Knox County are still rising. As of January 15, 471 people across the region were in the hospital with COVID-19 -- up from 361 on Jan. 8. The number of people in the ICU rose to 104, which increased by 20 patients from Jan. 8.

KCHD reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous reporting period, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,091.

January 12

The Knox County Health Department is now reporting its COVID-19 statistics weekly instead of daily. KCHD released the report for the prior week on Wednesday, Jan. 12.

For the reporting week ending on Saturday, January 8, Knox County reported 6,766 active COVID-19 cases and rising. Nearly 4,000 new cases were reported in Knox County during the period between Jan. 2-8, compared to roughly 2,050 cases reported the previous week of Dec. 26 - Jan. 1.

Hospitalizations in Knox County are rising. As of January 8, 361 people across the region were in the hospital with COVID-19 -- up from 257 on Jan. 1. The number of people in the ICU rose to 87, which increased by 13 patients from Jan. 1. KCHD reported ICU bed availability was down to 10 beds across the region.

KCHD reported 47 new COVID-19 deaths since the previous reporting period, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County to 1,078. KCHD said 42 of those deaths occurred in previous months -- saying they were added after the Tennessee Department of Health reviewed death certificates last month and identified hundreds of COVID-19 deaths in the state that had not been reported.

January 7

The Knox County Health Department on Friday announced it will be reporting COVID-19 data weekly moving forward after the area saw 1,003 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, which is the highest number of new cases seen in a single day in Knox County since the start of the pandemic.

Active COVID-19 cases have risen to 6,481.

A record number of people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week. Roughly 1 in 3 COVID-19 tests reported by the Tennessee Department of Health have come back positive in Knox County over the past seven days. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations, however, have not risen at the same rates seen in past surges alongside new cases. KCHD reported a total of 343 COVID-19 positive inpatients across regional hospitals in the area, with 81 patients in the ICU and 42 on ventilators. Health experts have been cautiously optimistic that the omicron variant, while observably more transmissible than previous variants, may not be causing as many serious infections as other variants. 

Credit: KCHD

KCHD announced it would begin reporting data weekly rather than daily moving forward to align with the Tennessee Department of Health's reporting cycle, which has also moved to weekly. KCHD it will report information on Wednesdays, and will include data from the previous Sunday through Saturday.

January 6

The Knox County Health Department continued to report a rapid rise in new and active COVID-19 cases Thursday.

As of Jan. 6, KCHD said there are 5,331 active cases of COVID-19 -- up by more than 1,300 from just two days ago. 

As of Thursday, KCHD said 312 people were in the hospital for COVID-19, which is not up significantly compared to the 297 people reported hospitalized on Tuesday.

The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 has hit new records in the past week. As of Jan. 3, roughly 28% of all tests reported in the past seven days came back positive. 

The department said 20 more deaths were added to its data Thursday to bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the county to 1,028, however it said all of those deaths were from previous months. The Tennessee Department of Health conducted a review of its COVID-19 data and identified more than 2,000 COVID-19 related deaths across that state that had not been reported in its data until December 22.

January 4

The Knox County Health Department reported there are 4,026 active COVID-19 cases locally -- more than double the 1,780 active cases reported a week ago on December 28. As of Tuesday, KCHD said 297 people were currently in the hospital with COVID-19 -- up by more than 70 people from a week ago.

A total of 87,592 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases have been reported since the start of the pandemic. 

At least 8 more COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the past week. KCHD said 1,008 people in the county have died to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Of note, the percentage of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Knox County reached a new pandemic high over the past week. On average, 25% people who've been tested for COVID-19 tested positive over the past seven days. The previous 7-day average high occurred in December 2020, when the average hovered around 23% to 24%.

KCHD said that TDH routinely reviews COVID-related deaths to ensure they are accurately represented. They are identifying additional COVID-related deaths in Knox County which will be added to the charts when they are received by KCHD. Some of these deaths will have taken place earlier during the course of the pandemic.

December 29

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 84,693 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 2,268 active cases -- up by nearly 490 from the day prior. As of Wednesday, KCHD said a total of 229 people were currently in the hospital with COVID-19, which is roughly the same as a week ago.

KCHD reported 1,000 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County -- up one from the day prior. 

KCHD said that TDH routinely reviews COVID-related deaths to ensure they are accurately represented. They are identifying additional COVID-related deaths in Knox County which will be added to the charts when they are received by KCHD. Some of these deaths will have taken place earlier during the course of the pandemic.

December 28

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 84,350 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 1,780 active cases and 2,216 total hospitalizations since the pandemic began due to COVID-19.

KCHD reported 999 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD said that TDH routinely reviews COVID-related deaths to ensure they are accurately represented. They are identifying additional COVID-related deaths in Knox County which will be added to the charts when they are received by KCHD. Some of these deaths will have taken place earlier during the course of the pandemic.

December 23

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 83,604 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 1,300 active cases and 2,205 hospitalizations since the pandemic began due to COVID-19.

KCHD reported 999 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD said that TDH routinely reviews COVID-related deaths to ensure they are accurately represented. They are identifying additional COVID-related deaths in Knox County which will be added to the charts when they are received by KCHD. Some of these deaths will have taken place earlier during the course of the pandemic.

December 22

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 83,444 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 1,277 active cases and 2,200 hospitalizations since the pandemic began due to COVID-19.

KCHD reported 996 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD said that TDH routinely reviews COVID-related deaths to ensure they are accurately represented. They are identifying additional COVID-related deaths in Knox County which will be added to the charts when they are received by KCHD. Some of these deaths will have taken place earlier during the course of the pandemic.

WBIR will resume the COVID-19 updates due to an increase in cases and the presence of the omicron variant.

November 8

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 79,321 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 800 active cases.

KCHD reported 928 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

November 3

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 79,038 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There are 914 active cases.

KCHD reported 927 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 29

The Knox County Health Department reported 105 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,739.

There are 1,141 active cases.

KCHD reported 5 new COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County, for a total of 922.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 28

The Knox County Health Department reported 79 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,634.

There are 1,055 active cases.

KCHD reported 3 new COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County, for a total of 917.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 27

The Knox County Health Department reported 92 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,555.

There are 1,237 active cases.

KCHD reported 0 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County, for a total of 914.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 26

The Knox County Health Department reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,463.

There are 1,312 active cases.

KCHD reported 5 new COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County, for a total of 914.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 25

The Knox County Health Department reported 251 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,425.

There are 1,278 active cases.

No new COVID-related deaths were reported on Monday in Knox County. The total remains at 909.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 22

The Knox County Health Department reported 163 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,174.

There are 1,398 active cases.

KCHD reported four new deaths, for a total of 909 COVID-related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 21

The Knox County Health Department reported 141 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 78,011.

There are 1,397 active cases.

KCHD reported two new deaths, for a total of 905 COVID-related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 20

The Knox County Health Department reported 104 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 77,870.

There are 1,458 active cases.

KCHD reported three new deaths, for a total of 903 COVID-related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 19

The Knox County Health Department reported 85 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 77,766.

There are 1,778 active cases, an increase of 78 since Monday.

As of Tuesday, the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County is 900, an increase of 8 from Monday's figures. This is enough to fill more than half of the seats in the Tennessee Theatre.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 18

The Knox County Health Department reported 369 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, reflecting numbers from the weekend. The total of confirmed and probable cases is 77,681.

There are 1,700 active cases, reflecting a decline in the total number.

As of Monday, the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County is 892, an increase of 11 from Friday's figures.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 15

The Knox County Health Department reported 113 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 77,312.

There are 1,757 active cases.

KCHD did not report any new deaths. The total of COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County remains at 881.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 14

The Knox County Health Department reported 154 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 77,199.

There are 1,827 active cases.

KCHD reported 8 new deaths, bringing the total to 881 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 13

The Knox County Health Department reported 186 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 77,045.

There are 1,917 active cases.

KCHD reported three new deaths, bringing the total to 873 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 12

The Knox County Health Department reported 61 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 76,859.

There are 1,951 active cases.

KCHD reported six new deaths, bringing the total to 870 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 11

The Knox County Health Department reported 603 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, representing an update on case counts from the weekend, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 76,798.

There are 2,196 active cases.

KCHD reported two new deaths, bringing the total to 864 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 8

The Knox County Health Department reported 150 new cases Friday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 76,195.

There are 2,210 active cases.

KCHD reported six new deaths, bringing the total to 862 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 7

The Knox County Health Department reported 215 new cases Thursday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 76,045.

There are 2,618 active cases, a decrease of 112 over the day before.

KCHD reported 1 new death, bringing the total to 856 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 6

The Knox County Health Department reported 297 new cases Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 75,830.

There are 2,730 active cases, an increase of 254 over the day before.

KCHD reported 3 new deaths, bringing the total to 855 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 5

The Knox County Health Department reported 155 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 75,533.

There are 2,476 active cases in Knox County, down roughly 225 from the day prior.

KCHD reported 3 new deaths, bringing the total to 852 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 4

The Knox County Health Department reported 510 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, representing an update on case counts from the weekend. As of Monday, there have been 75,378 total cases since the outbreak.

There are 2,708 active cases in Knox County, a reduction of 177 from Friday.

KCHD reported 7 new deaths from the weekend counts, bringing the total to 849 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

October 1

The Knox County Health Department reported 362 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, for a total of 74,868 confirmed and probable cases.

There are 2,885 active cases in Knox County, a reduction of 87 from the day before.

KCHD reported 1 new death, bringing the total to 842 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 30

The Knox County Health Department reported 364 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, for a total of 74,506 confirmed and probable cases.

There are 2,972 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 4 new deaths bringing the total to 841 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 29

The Knox County Health Department reported 260 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, for a total of 74,142 confirmed and probable cases.

There are 3,088 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 2 new deaths bringing the total to 837 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 28

The Knox County Health Department reported 167 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, for a total of 73,882 confirmed and probable cases.

There are 3,265 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 7 new deaths bringing the total to 835 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 27

The Knox County Health Department reported 661 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, updating figures for what went unreported over the weekend.

Also, the total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 73,715.

There are 3,880 active cases in Knox County, an overall decrease from 4,082 as reported Friday.

KCHD reported 22 new deaths Monday morning, bringing the total to 828 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County since the outbreak.

While active cases are decreasing, health authorities have expected deaths to increase as the current cycle of the virus continues in Knox County. Virus deaths usually lag by a couple weeks once case counts start to increase.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 24

The Knox County Health Department reported 265 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 73,054 across the county.

There are 4,082 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 8 new deaths, bringing the total to 806 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 23

The Knox County Health Department reported 371 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 72,789 across the county.

There are 4,425 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 7 new deaths, bringing the total to 798 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 22

The Knox County Health Department reported 355 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 72,418 across the county.

There are 5,544 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total to 791 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 21

The Knox County Health Department reported 200 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 72,063 across the county.

There are 5,485 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total to 786 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 20

The Knox County Health Department reported 1,334 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 71,863 across the county.

There are 6,354 active cases in Knox County.

KCHD reported 9 new deaths, bringing the total to 781 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 17

The Knox County Health Department reported 421 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 70,529 across the county.

There are 5,850 active cases in Knox County, an increase of 362 from the day before, according to KCHD.

KCHD reported 8 new deaths, bringing the total to 772 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 16

The Knox County Health Department reported 503 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 70,108 across the county.

There are 5,488 active cases in Knox County, a decline of nearly 1,000 from the day before, according to KCHD.

KCHD reported 6 new deaths, bringing the total to 764 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 15

The Knox County Health Department reported 435 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 69,605 across the county.

There are 6,397 active cases in Knox County, according to KCHD.

KCHD reported 9 new deaths, bringing the total to 758 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD has said it will "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 14

The Knox County Health Department reported 421 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 69,170 across the county. 

There are 5,957 active cases in Knox County, according to KCHD.

KCHD reported 15 new deaths, bringing the total to 749 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

KCHD said it "report out deaths of Knox County residents as we are notified of them (i.e. the date we report out the death is not necessarily the date of death)."

September 13

The Knox County Health Department reported 2,319 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 68,749 across the county. 

There are 6,555 active cases in Knox County, according to KCHD.

KCHD reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total to 734 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

September 10

The Knox County Health Department reported 199 total new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 66,430 across the county. 

There are 5,136 active cases in Knox County, according to KCHD.

KCHD said that 729 people have died due to COVID in Knox County.

September 9

The Knox County Health Department reported 453 total new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 66,231 across the county. Active cases fell to 5,587.

The number of people who've died to COVID-19 grew by six Thursday for a total of 728 deaths.

KCHD did not provide the number of current hospitalizations in its Thursday data update -- which stood at a record 732 people Wednesday. UT Medical Center reported a growth in hospitalizations on Thursday, saying 11 more people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 for a total of 167 patients at its hospital alone.  

In an effort to be transparent about positive COVID-19 trends at the medical center, we are providing this daily data dashboard.

Posted by UT Medical Center on Thursday, September 9, 2021

September 8

The Knox County Health Department reported 872 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 65,778. This is one the largest single-day jumps in new cases locally since the start of the pandemic. 

There are currently 5,777 active COVID-19 cases across the county -- setting a new high since the start of the pandemic.

A record 732 people are currently in the hospital with COVID-19 across East Tennessee's 16 counties. Of those, 180 are in the ICU and 124 are on a ventilator. There are currently nine remaining ICU beds staffed and available in regional hospitals. 

Credit: WBIR
Current hospitalizations in East Tennessee as of Sept. 8, 2021.

KCHD reported two more deaths to COVID-19 since Tuesday, for a total of 722 deaths since the pandemic.

The health department and doctors said the recent surge in cases continues to trend younger than previous surges. Nearly 42% of all positive cases in Knox County since the start of the pandemic are now people 30 and under, when previously the percentage trended more toward older, more vulnerable patients prior to the vaccine rollout.

East Tennessee Children's Hospital is now seeing more COVID-19 patients than at any point during the pandemic. 16 children are in the hospital, with five of them being treated in the ICU.

September 7

The Knox County Department of Health reported 2,731 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 64,906.

There are currently 5,562 active COVID-19 cases. The number of active cases has quadrupled in the span of roughly one month.

KCHD reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths since last Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began up to 720. 

A total of 1,591 people in Knox County have been hospitalized due to COVID-19. Note: Not all hospitals have reported data, the numbers may change.

KCHD said the state worked through a backlog of labs over the weekend which resulted in a larger number of cases that are being reported on Tuesday. This means that some of the positive cases that are reported today are actually from positive labs in the past several days.

September 2

The Knox County Department of Health reported 1,009 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 62,175.

There are currently 4,920 active COVID-19 cases.

KCHD reported 6 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began up to 707. In the past week, KCHD has reported 21 deaths from COVID-19. That’s the equivalent of losing one of our Knox County neighbors to the virus every 8 hours.

A total of 1,567 people in Knox County have been hospitalized due to COVID-19.

August 31

The Knox County Department of Health reported 2,280 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 61,166.

There are currently 4,654 active COVID-19 cases.

KCHD reported 17 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began up to 701.

A total of 1,544 people in Knox County have been hospitalized due to COVID-19.

August 26

The Knox County Department of Health reported 754 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases up to 58,886.

There are currently 3,669 active COVID-19 cases -- up by 19 from Tuesday.

KCHD reported six new COVID-19 deaths in the past two days, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began up to 684.

A total of 1,528 people in Knox County have been hospitalized due to COVID-19, up by 10 from Tuesday. As of August 25, regional hospitals were treating 567 COVID-positive patients, up by 57 from Monday.

►RELATED: UT Medical Center requests staffing help from the Tennessee National Guard

August 24 

There are currently 3,650 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 58,132 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. 

There has been a total of 678 deaths related to COVID-19. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,518 hospitalizations.

August 19

There are currently 2,509 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 56,250 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. 

There has been a total of 674 deaths related to COVID-19. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,498 hospitalizations. There are currently 439 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in East Tennessee.

There are currently 7 ICU beds available, which is a handful more than last week as some are scaling back on elective procedures to make space for the surge. There are also more than 100 adult floor available, according to KCHD data.

August 17 

There are currently 2,433 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 55,813 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. 

There has been a total of 671 deaths related to COVID-19, seven more deaths since last week. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,497 hospitalizations. There are currently 431 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in East Tennessee. 

August 11

There are just 5 total ICU beds available in all 19 regional hospitals, according to new data from KCHD. Current hospitalizations also grew from 230 to 333. 

In December 2020, health leaders sounded the alarm at 433 current hospitalizations and 8 remaining ICU beds. Hospitals scaled back on non-emergent procedures and flipped the final benchmark red.

There are currently 1,819 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 54,361 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There has been a total of 664 deaths related to COVID-19, 6 more deaths since last week. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,477 hospitalizations.

August 4

There are currently 1,240 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 53,131 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There has been a total of 658 deaths related to COVID-19, 3 more deaths since last week. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,461 hospitalizations.

July 28

There are currently 721 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. KCHD is reporting a total of 52,324 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

There has been a total of 655 deaths related to COVID-19. KCHD is also reporting a total of 1,446 hospitalizations. 

According to KCHD data, there have been 4 deaths because of the virus among Knox County residents since July 23. Before then, the last COVID-19-related death was July 9 in Knox County.

June 30

There are currently 120 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. There have been 51,441 total confirmed and probable cases since last March, but as epidemiologists continue to review all the cases, that number continues to be adjusted as cases are moved to other counties. 

Two additional deaths have been recorded, bringing the total for Knox County to 648.

June 23

Three additional deaths have been reported this week due to COVID-19, bringing the total to 646, according to KCHD. 

There are currently 76 active cases. Since last March, there have been 51,394 confirmed and probable cases in Knox County. 

June 16

The KCHD said there are currently 76 active cases of COVID-19. So far, there have been 51,978 total confirmed and probable cases since last March, a number that keeps adjusting as epidemiologists investigate the cases and determine if they belong in Knox County or if they live in another county.

There have been 643 deaths of Knox Co. residents and 1,419 hospitalizations.

June 2

KCHD reported 37 new COVID-19 cases this week. The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 is now 52,066.

202 cases are currently active.

No new deaths were reported. That number remains at 639.

May 28

KCHD reported 25 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 52,029.

276 cases are currently active.

21 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, a decrease of one since Wednesday.

No new deaths were reported. That number remains at 639.

May 26

KCHD reported 26 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, but as epidemiologists continue to review all the cases reported since last March, the total number of confirmed and probable cases continues to be adjusted as cases are moved to other counties. So right now, the number of confirmed and probable cases stands at 52,004.

300 cases are currently active.

22 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, down three from Tuesday.

No new deaths were reported.

May 25

KCHD reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 52,030.

314 cases are currently active.

25 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of one from Monday.

No new deaths were reported.

May 24 

As KCHD epidemiologists continue their standard review of COVID-19 cases, the number of cases in Knox County could change as the team finds that people previously included in Knox County's count actually reside in other counties. Because of that, the total number of confirmed and probable cases has declined to 52,016.

KCHD said there were 8 new cases reported on May 22, 6 new cases on May 23, and 4 new cases on May 24 for a total of 18 new cases since Friday.

There are currently 313 active cases and 24 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized.

One new death was reported bringing that total to 639.

May 21

KCHD said ten new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, though a current total of confirmed and probable cases were unchanged from the day before.

That's because KCHD said in a notice that epidemiologists were performing a standard review of all Knox County COVID-19 cases dating back to March 2020, which should be complete by the week of May 24.

"In this review, the team has identified 41 cases to date that reside outside Knox County. The team is working with the state of Tennessee to transfer these cases to the appropriate jurisdiction. This will result in what appears to be a decline of total cases in the May 21, 2021 COVID-19 data."

KCHD said the data reviews are standard operating procedure. 

"The adjustments that often result from these reviews are expected given the nature of real-time data reporting with COVID-19, which is not normally how health metrics are reported in the U.S. Typically, there is a several-month lag before health data is reported," KCHD said.

May 20

KCHD reported 25 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 52,182.

366 cases are currently active.

21 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, down two from Wednesday.

No new deaths were reported.

May 19

KCHD reported ten new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 52,157

369 are currently active.

23 people in Knox County are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, down two from Tuesday.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 638.

May 18

KCHD reported 22 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 52,147. 

410 cases are currently active.

25 people in Knox County are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, down one from Monday.

No new deaths were reported.

May 17

KCHD reported 78 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 52,125. 

413 cases are currently active.

COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 12 to 26. 

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 637.

May 14

KCHD reported 28 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 52,047. 

452 cases are currently active.

14 people in Knox County are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19.

No new deaths were reported.

May 13

KCHD reported 39 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 52,019. 

473 cases are currently active.

Two new COVID-19 hospitalizations were reported, bringing the total currently hospitalized to 16.

No new deaths were reported.

May 12

KCHD reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,980.  

490 cases are currently active.

The number of hospitalizations fell by one to 14.  

No new deaths were reported. That number remains at 636.

May 11

KCHD reported 8 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 51,966. 

518 cases are currently active.

The number of hospitalizations rose by one to 15.  

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 636.

May 10

KCHD reported 100 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 51,958. 

543 cases are currently active.

COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped by two to 14. 

No new deaths were reported. That number remains at 635.

May 7

KCHD reported 44 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 51,857. 

554 cases are currently active.

The number of hospitalizations fell by two to 16.  

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 635.

May 6

KCHD reported 49 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,813.

555 cases are currently active.

The number of hospitalizations fell by three to 18.  

No new deaths were reported. That number remains at 634.

May 5

KCHD reported 23 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 51,764.

572 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations fell by 7 to 21 and no new deaths were reported.

May 4

KCHD reported 27 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,741. 

623 cases are currently active.

The number of hospitalizations fell by eight to 28.  

No new deaths were reported.

May 3

KCHD reported 188 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since March to now 51,714. 

652 cases are currently active.

Four new COVID-19 hospitalizations were reported, bringing the total currently hospitalized to 36.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 634.

April 30

KCHD reported 47 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 51,573.

656 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations fell by three to 32. 

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 633.

April 29

KCHD reported three new deaths related to COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total in Knox County to 632.

There were 73 new cases reported. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,526.

693 cases are currently active.

COVID-19 hospitalizations fell by eight to 35.

April 28

Sixty-eight new COVID-19 cases were reported in Knox County on Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 51,453.

One additional death was reported, bringing that total to 629

651 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations remained the same at 43.

April 27

KCHD reported 39 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 51,385.

734 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations rose by one to 43. 

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 628.

April 26

KCHD reported 12 new COVID-19 hospitalizations since Friday, bringing the total currently hospitalized to 42.

There were 125 new cases reported. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,346.

701 cases are currently active.

No new deaths were reported.

April 23

KCHD reported 82 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and one additional death.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 51,221.

773 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations increased by one to 30.

The total number of deaths reported now stands at 627.

April 22

KCHD reported 52 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 51,139.

754 cases are currently active.

One new hospitalization was reported for a total of 29.

No new deaths were reported.

April 21

Sixty-six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Knox County on Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 51,087.

One additional death was reported, bringing that total to 626

701 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations fell by three to 28.

April 20

KCHD reported 30 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 51,021.

799 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations fell by one to 31. 

No new deaths were reported.

April 19

There was a big jump in COVID-19 cases reported on Monday, however, KCHD said that was because a state health provider reported a big backlog of positive cases dating back to January.

With 297 Knox County cases as part of this backlog, KCHD reported 462 new cases on Monday. However, KCHD said only 20 of those cases had their COVID-19 test in the last seven days. That brings the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 50,991.

763 cases are currently active. As of Monday, that's the lowest number of active cases reported since July 13.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 625.

Hospitalizations fell by one to 32.

April 16

The Knox County Health Department reported Friday, 50,529 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases.

KCHD said that there are 33 individuals hospitalized and 624 people have died due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

April 14

KCHD reported 70 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 50,379.

823 cases are currently active.

Three new hospitalizations were reported for a total of 29.

No new deaths were reported.

April 13

Thirty new COVID-19 cases were reported in Knox County on Tuesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 50,309.

Two additional deaths were reported, bringing that total to 623.

825 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations fell by seven to 26.

April 12

KCHD reported 174 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 50,279.

One additional death was reported over the weekend, bringing Knox County's total to 621.

840 cases are currently active, a drop of 26 from Friday.

Hospitalizations dropped by two to 33.

April 9

Two additional COVID-19 deaths were reported on Friday, bringing the total to 620 in Knox County.

Eighty new cases were reported. The total number of confirmed and probable cases since last March is now at 50,105.

866 cases are currently active. 

The number of Knox Co. residents hospitalized remained the same, at 35.

April 8

The number of confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 50,000 people in Knox County.

74 new cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 50,025. 876 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents fell by five down to 35 on Thursday.

No new deaths were reported.

April 7

KCHD reported 52 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 49,951.

901 cases are currently active.

One additional death was reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to 618.

Hospitalizations of Knox County residents are currently at 40, an increase of three since Tuesday.

April 6

KCHD reported 45 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 49,899. 973 cases are currently active.

Three additional Knox Co. residents were hospitalized for a total of 37 currently in the hospital. 

No new deaths were reported. That total remains at 617.

April 5

The Knox County Health Department is reporting a total of 49,854 COVID-19 cases. This number includes confirmed and probable cases.

According to KCHD, 34 residents in Knox County are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19.

As of April 5, three new deaths were reported bringing the total to 617.

Note: Numbers for Friday, April 2, were not available because it was Good Friday and KCHD reports data from the weekend on the next business day.

"Data from Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays will be available on the next business day's COVID-19 data report," according to KCHD's website

April 1

KCHD reported 57 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March 2020 to 49,511.

979 cases are currently active.

5 new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 614.

Hospitalizations remained at 34 Thursday.

March 31

KCHD reported 45 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 49,454.

1,027 cases are currently active.

No new deaths were reported.

Hospitalizations fell by one, from 35 to 34 on Wednesday.

March 30

KCHD reported 67 new COVID-19 cases since Monday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 49,409.

1,066 cases are currently active.

Three new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 609.

Thirty-five people are currently hospitalized, a decrease of seven since Monday.

March 29

KCHD reported 225 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 49,342.

1,043 cases are currently active.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 606.

Forty-two people are currently hospitalized, an increase of seven since Friday.

March 26

After several days of trending down, Knox County's active COVID-19 case count is back over a thousand on Friday.

129 new cases were reported, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since the pandemic began to 49,117. 1,017 cases are currently active, an increase of 56 since Thursday. 

The number of hospitalizations rose by four to 39. 

No new deaths were reported.

March 25

80 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death were reported on Thursday.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases since last March now stands at 48,988. 961 cases are currently active.

Two additional Knox Co. residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19, bringing the current total to 35.

With one new death reported, that number is now at 605.

March 24

115 new COVID-19 cases and two additional deaths were reported on Wednesday.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases since last March now stands at 48,908. 884 cases are currently active.

Two additional Knox Co. residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19, bringing the current total to 33.

With two new deaths reported, that number is now at 604.

March 23

The Knox Co. Health Dept. on Tuesday reported 58 new COVID-19 cases, which brings the total of confirmed and probable cases since the pandemic began to 48,793 cases.

836 cases are currently active -- down by 35 from Monday.

The number of Knox County residents that are currently hospitalized decreased by 6 from yesterday for a total of 31 people.

One new death was reported, bringing the total number of  COVID-19 deaths to 602.

March 22

The Knox Co. Health Dept. is no longer updating COVID-19 case information on the weekends, so the following is information for three days.

On Monday, KCHD reported 229 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, which brings the total of confirmed and probable cases since the pandemic began to 48,735 cases.

871 cases are currently active.

Four additional Knox County residents have been hospitalized for a current total of 37 people.

No new deaths were reported.

March 19

Only 26 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Knox County on Friday, but three additional deaths were recorded.

Since March of 2020, there have been 48,446 confirmed and probable cases in Knox County. 885 of those are currently active.

Thirty-three Knox Co. residents remain hospitalized for treatment of the virus.

KCHD reported that a total of 601 residents have died after contracting COVID-19.

March 18

KCHD reported 180 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total since last March to 48,420.

Two additional deaths have been reported in Knox County, bringing that total to 598. Hospitalizations of Knox County residents rose by two to 33.

The number of active cases continues to fall. There were 860 active cases reported on Thursday. KCHD Director Dr. Martha Buchanan said this is the lowest active cases have been in "a long time," calling it "incredibly encouraging news."

However, Buchanan said the rate of new cases has plateaued after a downward trend that lasted several weeks. She said people, even those who are fully vaccinated, need to continue following the "five core actions" in order to prevent case counts from rising again.

KCHD said it is currently distributing 400 to 500 first-dose vaccines daily, and hopes to hit 800 to 1,000 daily soo as supply continues to grow. So far, more than 148,000 first and second-dose vaccines have been administered in Knox County.   

The Knox County Health Department isn't the only one offering vaccine. KCHD said people who are eligible that still haven't been able to receive an appointment should look at all opportunities across the region, including at local hospitals, university-run clinics, and pharmacies. You can find places offering the COVID-19 vaccine on vaccinefinder.org.

March 17

The number of active COVID-19 cases has fallen below a thousand for the first time since October, according to the KCHD. Right now, there are 947 active cases reported.

There were 68 new cases reported on Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since last March to 48,308.

Hospitalizations rose a bit on Wednesday, from 28 to 31, and one new death was reported, bringing the total in Knox Co. to 596.

March 16

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 54 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 48,240.

1,011 cases are currently active.

As of March 16, 28 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, down six from the day before.

No new deaths were reported, so that number remains at 595.

March 15

KCHD reported 36 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday along with one new death.

Since last March, there have been 48,186 total and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. 1,015 cases are currently active.

Three new Knox Co. residents were reported to be hospitalized due to COVID-19, bringing the current total to 34.

With one additional death reported, the total number of Knox Co. residents who have died after contracting the virus is now at 595.

March 14

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 89 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. That brings the total of confirmed and probable infections to 48,150. The Health Department said 1,048 of those are active.

KCHD said there are 31 Knox County residents currently hospitalized -- that's down from Saturday.

The Health Department did not report any additional deaths. The total remains at 594 reported deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

March 13

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 103 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. There are now 48,061 total confirmed and probable cases - 1,057 of those are active.

The Health Department also reported one new COVID-19 death, bringing the total of reported deaths to 594.

There are 33 Knox County residents currently in the hospital, down from 36 on Friday.

March 12

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 77 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 47,958.

As of March 12, 36 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and the death toll remains at 593.

March 11

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 85 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 47,881. 1,063 are currently active.

Two new COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Knox County Thursday. However, KCHD also added a backlog of 44 additional deaths that went unreported between December 2020 and February 2021, bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic up to 593.

KCHD said it became aware of the 44 deaths only recently, saying they went unreported due a process change on the state level that caused a similar discrepancy between state and local data in other metro areas such as Nashville. 

RELATED: KCHD learns dozens of COVID-19 deaths went unreported since December

As of now, 40 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of one since Wednesday.

March 10

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 103 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 47,796. 1,031 are currently active.

Two new COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Knox County, for a total of 547 deaths.

As of now, 39 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of three since Tuesday.

March 9

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 14 new COVID-19 cases. That brings the total to 47,693 confirmed and probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic. 

KCHD said it believes the low number of new cases Tuesday was due to lower testing volume over the weekend, saying it expects to see a comparatively higher number of cases Wednesday.

The department said 1,177 cases are active.

KCHD is also reporting 36 residents hospitalized, down two from Monday. 

One additional death was reported. The Health Department has reported 545 total virus-related deaths.

March 8

KCHD is reporting 124 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death on Monday.

There have been 47,679 total cases since March 2020. Right now, 1,168 cases are currently active. A total of 544 Knox Co. residents have died after contracting COVID-19.

Hospitalizations continue to decrease. There are currently 38 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, down from 43 on Sunday.

March 7

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 103 new COVID-19 cases. That brings the total to 47,555 total confirmed and probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The Health Department said 1,174 cases are active as of Sunday.

KCHD is also reporting 2 new hospitalizations, bringing the total number of Knox County residents in hospital beds to 43.

There were no new deaths reported. The Health Department has reported 543 total virus-related deaths.

March 6

There have now been 47,452 total confirmed and probable cases reported in Knox County since the beginning of the pandemic. That's 92 new cases reported on Saturday, according to the Knox County Health Department.

There were no new reported COVID-19 related deaths, keeping the total at 543.

One additional Knox County resident was hospitalized. There are now 41 people battling the virus in hospital beds.

March 5

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 100 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 47,360.

Two new COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Knox County, for a total of 543 deaths.

The number of hospitalizations remained the same. As of now, 40 Knox County residents remain hospitalized due to COVID-19.

March 4

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to fall for Knox Co. residents. On Thursday, there were 40 residents in the hospital, a decrease of six from the day before.

There were 167 new cases reported, bringing the total since March to 47,260. 1,110 cases are currently active.

One new death was reported on Thursday. 541 Knox Co. residents have died since the pandemic began.

March 3

KCHD reported three new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, but eight more Knox County residents being treated for the virus have been released from the hospital.

Overall, there have been 47,093 cases reported since last March. 58 new cases were reported on Wednesday. 1,257 cases are currently active in Knox County.

So far, Knox Co. has reported 540 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Right now, there are 46 residents hospitalized, a decrease of eight since Tuesday.

March 2

The Knox County Health Department reported 70 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 47,035.

One new death has been reported, for a total of 537 COVID-19 related deaths in Knox County.

There are currently 55 residents in the hospital, according to KCHD.

March 1

KCHD reported 73 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total since last March to 46,965. 1,345 cases are currently active.

One new death has been reported, for a total of lives lost in Knox County now at 536.

Three additional hospitalizations of Knox County residents were reported. There are currently 54 residents in the hospital.

February 28

Knox County reported 100 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 46,892. Of those cases, 1,358 are considered active, which is a decrease of 50 cases from the day before.

Two fewer people are in the hospital, bringing the total down to 51 Knox County residents who are fighting the virus in a hospital.

No new deaths were reported, keeping the total at 535.

February 27

Knox County reported 73 new confirmed cases and no new deaths due to COVID-19.

This brings the total of confirmed and probable cases to 46,792. 1,408 cases are currently active.

The county reported 53 current hospitalizations. That's two fewer hospitalizations from Friday. The number of deaths stands at 535. 

KCHD also reported 75 additional cases that were not previously included in its online data. The health department said in a data review, epidemiologists identified 75 old cases that had not been coded for Knox County due to missing information in its system.

February 26

Four new deaths have been reported in Knox County due to COVID-19, according to KCHD, bringing the total to 535.

90 new cases have been identified, bringing the total since March to 46,572. 1,407 cases are currently active.

55 people are currently hospitalized, an increase of three since Thursday.

February 25

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 105 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 46,482.

52 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and KCHD has reported one new COVID-19 death in Knox County, bringing the total to 531.

Charity Menefee, director of communicable and environmental disease for KCHD, said Thursday in a briefing that recent downward trends in case counts, deaths and hospitalizations are encouraging and show the county is moving in the right direction.

Menefee said "a lot of positive things are happening," but she cautioned people should not assume the pandemic is over or that they can ease up on precautions in place for months to stop the spread of the virus, such as frequent hand-washing, maintaining distance in social settings and mask-wearing.

Menefee also said KCHD has in the last week or so picked up contact tracing -- tracking folks exposed as a result of a virus case. The high outbreak caseload late last year made it difficult for staff to keep up with the pace.

February 24

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 82 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 46,377.

54 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and KCHD has reported two more COVID-19 deaths in Knox County, bringing the total to 530.

In its weekly benchmarks, KCHD downgraded hospitalizations and new cases to "green" for the first time in many months. Hospitalizations were last reported "green" back in July, and new cases were last "green" in October. The benchmark for COVID-19 deaths has been upgraded to "yellow " after the county saw four days this month without a new death reported -- breaking an 87-day streak.  This also means there are no longer any benchmarks in the "red." 

February 23

Three more Knox Co. residents have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total to 528 since March.

KCHD reported 68 new cases on Tuesday, that's the lowest single-day number of new cases reported since October. The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March is 46,295. 1,652 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents fell by one, from 57 to 56.

February 22

KCHD reported three new deaths and six new COVID-19 hospitalizations in Knox County on Monday.

101 new cases were reported, bringing the total since March to 46,227. 1,665 cases are currently active.

A total of 525 Knox County residents have died after begin diagnosed with COVID-19 since March.

There are currently 57 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, bringing the total since March to 1,228.

February 21

The Knox County Health Department reports 121 new cases, bringing the pandemic total of confirmed and probable cases to 46,126. Of those cases, 1,678 are considered active.

No new deaths were reported, keeping Knox County's death toll at 522 people.

Three fewer people are in the hospital, meaning now 51 Knox County residents are fighting the virus from a hospital bed.

February 20

Hospitalizations dropped by 11 people on Saturday, meaning now 54 Knox County residents are fighting COVID-19 in the hospital.

One new death was reported by KCHD, bringing the total to 522 deaths.

KCHD reported 149 new cases, bringing the county's pandemic total of confirmed and probable cases to 46,005. Of those cases, 1,780 are considered active.

February 19

Hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents due to COVID-19 edged up by six on Friday, with the total now at 65.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 521.

There were 136 new cases reported. The total number of COVID-19 cases since March is now 45,856. 1,812 cases are currently active.

February 18

Because numbers weren't posted on Wednesday due to a technical error, today's numbers are for the past two days. 

KCHD reported 231 new cases in the past two days and three additional deaths.

The total number of COVID-19 cases since March is now 45,720. There are currently 1,847 active cases.

520 Knox Co. residents have died after contracting COVID-19. There are currently 59 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, down one from Tuesday.

February 17

Due to an identified data entry issue found during routine analysis that incorrectly categorized some probable cases as confirmed cases, KCHD case numbers and benchmarks were not updated on Feb. 17. KCHD said the issue only occurred one day and was quickly identified and corrected.

Case numbers for Feb. 17 and benchmarks were reported alongside numbers for Feb. 18

February 16

Two new COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Knox County on Tuesday, bringing the total to 517.

KCHD reported 138 new cases. There have been 45,489 cases since the pandemic began. There are currently 2,032 active cases.

Sixty Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, down two from Monday.

February 15

Knox County reported 1 new COVID-19 related death Monday, raising the total since the pandemic began to 515. 

There are 2,018 active cases, up 3 from the day before.

KCHD reported 146 new cases, bringing the total to 45,351 cases. 

There are 62 Knox Countians in the hospital.

February 14

Knox County reported no new COVID-19 related deaths on Sunday, keeping the total since the pandemic began to 514. 

There are now 2,015 active cases, which is down 59 from the day before.

KCHD reported 142 new cases, bringing the total to 45,205 cases. 

There are 62 Knox Countians in the hospital.

February 13

Knox County reported 1 new COVID-19 related death on Saturday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 514. 

There are now 2,074 active cases, which is down 38 from the day before. 

KCHD reported 171 new cases, bringing the total to 45,063 cases. 

There are 60 Knox Countians in the hospital, down 5 from the day before.

February 12

Knox County reported 1 additional death Friday from COVID-19 complications, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 513.

Active virus cases are now at 2,112, down 22 from the day before.

KCHD reported 147 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 44,892.

There are 65 Knox Countians in the hospital, down 2 from the day before.

February 11

Knox County reported 3 additional deaths Thursday from COVID-19 complications, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 512. 

There are 2,134 active virus cases.

KCHD reported 182 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 44,745.

There are 67 Knox Countians in the hospital, down 3 from the day before.

February 10

Knox County reported 7 additional deaths Wednesday from COVID-19 complications, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 509.

Deaths have been generally in the single digits, sometimes the low single digits, in recent weeks.

Active cases have fallen to 2,164, down from 2,302 the day before.

Also, the department reported 159 new cases Wednesday, bringing the total since the outbreak to 44,563.

A total of 70 people from Knox County are currently in the hospital. That's up from 62 the day before.

In its weekly benchmarks, KCHD said there were 215 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in East Tennessee -- the lowest since early-October and down 69% from the peak on January 7.

Deaths remain in the "red." For the last 93 days straight, someone has died from COVID-19 in the county. There have been 22 deaths in February so far, and there were at least 158 in January.

February 9

Knox County reported 2 additional deaths Tuesday from COVID-19 complications, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 502. 

There are 2,302 active virus cases.

KCHD reported 105 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 44,404.

There are 62 Knox Countians in the hospital, up 4 from the day before.

February 8

Knox County hit the 500-death mark Monday, recording 1 additional death. There were 499 reported deaths the day before, according to the Knox County Health Department.

Generally, cases and hospitalizations have been trending down in recent days.

There are 2,310 active virus cases.

KCHD reported 256 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 44,299.

There are 58 Knox Countians in the hospital, down from 71 the day before.

February 7

Two more people from Knox County have died from COVID-19, bringing the pandemic total to 499 deaths, according to the Knox County Health Department.

KCHD reports 184 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 44,043.

Currently, 71 Knox County residents are hospitalized with the virus, a decrease of one hospitalization from Friday.

February 6

One more Knox County resident has died from COVID-19, according to KCHD, bringing the total to 497. The health department also said 156 new cases were reported Saturday.

Currently, 72 Knox County residents are hospitalized with the virus, a decrease of five hospitalizations from Friday.

February 5

Six more Knox County residents have died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Knox Co. Health Department. That bring the total deaths since March to 496.

227 new cases were reported on Friday. There have been 43,703 confirmed and probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Currently, 2,291 cases are active.

The number of Knox Co. residents hospitalized has dropped by one since yesterday, from 78 to 77.

February 4

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 169 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 43,476.

Hospitalizations continue to trend down, with 78 people hospitalized in Knox County compared with 80 on Wednesday.

Two new deaths have been reported, bringing the total to 490.

February 3

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 182 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 43,307. 2,422 cases are currently active.

Four new deaths have been reported, bringing the total to 488.

Hospitalizations continue to go down, with 80 people hospitalized in Knox County compared with 83 the day before.

KCHD also released benchmark data on Wednesday. Right now, we have three yellow lights and one red light.

Deaths are the most critical and depicted in red. For the last 87 days, someone has died of COVID-19 in Knox County.

New cases and testing are depicted in yellow, as are hospitalizations. As of Tuesday, 284 people were hospitalized in East Tennessee for COVID-19. That's the lowest number since Nov. 9 and down 58 percent from the peak on January 7. This number is for people from all East Tennessee counties. The number of Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized is 80.

The KCHD has stopped assigning a color for contact tracing because, with so much community spread, it has become very difficult to trace the infections.

February 2

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 106 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 43,125.

Hospitalizations continue to go down, with 83 people hospitalized in Knox County compared with 86 the day before.

KCHD is also reporting 2 new deaths, bringing the total to 484.

February 1

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 242 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 43,019.

Hospitalizations are still trending down, with 86 people hospitalized in Knox County. 

KCHD is also reporting 6 new deaths, bringing the total to 482.

January 31

Six more Knox County residents have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the county's pandemic death toll to 476.

The Knox County Health Department reports 137 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 42,777. Of those cases, 2,465 are considered active.

Hospitalizations continue to drop, with 87 people hospitalized with the virus. That's six fewer people than the day before.

January 30

The Knox County Health Department is not reporting a daily increase in deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since Nov. 25, 2020. Deaths from COVID-19 remain at 470 since the beginning of the pandemic.

KCHD reported 170 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 42,640. There are currently 2,590 active cases, down

Hospitalizations of Knox County residents remain at 93.

January 29

Four more Knox County residents have died after contracting COVID-19, according to the KCHD. That brings the total since March to 470.

171 new cases were reported on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 42,470. 2,687 cases are currently active.

Hospitalizations of Knox County residents remain at 93.

January 28

The Knox County Health Department on Thursday said January 2021 is now officially the deadliest month for COVID-19 on record after 11 more people died from the virus.

KCHD reported 11 new deaths, meaning 466 people have now died to COVID-19. There have been 137 deaths in January so far -- more than KCHD reported in the entire 8 months between March and October. For the last 81 days straight someone has died of COVID-19 in Knox County. In December, 136 people died to COVID-19.

Credit: WBIR

However, deaths are known to be a lagging indicator of the current state of COVID-19 due to how long life-threatening infections and hospitalizations can last on top of a lengthy reporting process. Reported deaths have generally risen and fallen weeks to more than a month after the infections were first reported.

Even though deaths have climbed to record levels, new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have continued to trend down in Knox County this month -- which is a positive sign. To put this in perspective, the number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Knox County peaked at nearly 800 on December 18 and have trended downward since. On January 6, current hospitalizations hit a peak of 205 and have trended downward since.

Credit: WBIR
New COVID-19 cases reported in Knox Co. as of January 27, 2021.

As of Thursday, KCHD is reporting 267 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 42,299 confirmed and probable cases. 

Hospitalizations remain under 100. As of Thursday, 93 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Knox County. 

January 27

Knox County's promising trend in COVID-19 cases continued Wednesday as the Knox County Health Department reported a decline in hospitalizations and active cases.

Hospitalizations are at 94, down 6, and below 100 for the first time in weeks. The last time the county was below 100 was November.

Also, active cases are now at 2,830, a drop from 3,079 the day before.

KCHD also reported 9 new deaths Wednesday, bringing the total to 455.

There were 160 new cases Wednesday. Since March, there have been 42,032 confirmed and probable cases of the virus.

1,100 residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since March.

Knox County's benchmarks are reporting one red light and three yellow lights.

New cases are at yellow, as that number is starting to trend down. Testing is also yellow.

Hospitalizations are in yellow, the first time since December 1, 2020. As of Tuesday, there were 376 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in East Tennessee. The lowest since November 22, 2020. Currently, there are 30 ICU beds available in local hospitals and 160 open non-ICU beds.

Deaths are in red. For the last 80 days straight, someone has died of COVID-19 in Knox County. There have been 127 deaths in January so far. That’s more than KCHD reported in all of March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, or November.

January 26

The Knox County Health Department reports two more deaths due to COVID-19 in the county. 

That brings the total number of deaths in Knox County to 446. 

Since March, there have been 41,872 confirmed and probable cases of the virus. 3,079 are currently active. 

There are 157 new cases in the county.

The number of Knox County residents hospitalized is 100, down three from yesterday.

1,100 residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since March.

January 25

The Knox County Health Department reports 195 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and four new deaths. The total number of deaths in Knox County is now at 444.

Since March, there have been 41,715 confirmed and probable cases of the virus. 2,917 are currently active.

The number of Knox County residents hospitalized is 103. 1,100 residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since March.

January 24

The Knox County Health Department reports 286 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the pandemic total of confirmed and probable cases to 41,520. Of those cases, 2,902 are considered active, which 283 fewer active cases than the day before.

Three more deaths were reported, bringing the pandemic total to 440 deaths.

Two more people are in the hospital, meaning 107 people in Knox County are currently battling the virus in a hospital.

January 23

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Knox County are now the lowest they've been since November 24, 2020. There are 105 people in the hospital, which is down 22 from the day before.

The Knox County Health Department reports 6 new deaths, bringing the county's pandemic death toll to 437.

KCHD reported 256 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 41,234. Of those cases, 3,185 are considered active, which is down 194 cases from the day before.

January 22

The Knox County Health Department reported 174 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 40,978. There are currently 3,379 active cases.

The number of deaths in Knox County now stands at 431, which is actually three fewer than what was reported Thursday. The KCHD said there were actually two new reported deaths in the county, but several other deaths that were previously part of the Knox Co. count were moved to other regions. Because of that, the numbers in the database were updated.

Hospitalizations continue to decline, down eight people on Friday to 127. 1,082 Knox Co. residents have been hospitalized because of the virus since the pandemic began.

January 21

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 317 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 40,804.

Eleven more people have died as of Thursday. That follows 14 new deaths reported Wednesday. 

The total number of virus-related deaths in Knox County is now 434.

There are 135 Knox County residents now in the hospital because of the virus. That's down 

While the number of reported deaths is disturbing, it is important to note that deaths are a lagging indicator. It is not unexpected given the surge of cases and hospitalizations over the past two months.

January 20

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 152 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 40,487. This is the lowest number of daily new cases since Nov. 25.

However, 14 more people have died, the most COVID-19 deaths reported in one day, for a total of 423 COVID-19 deaths in Knox County. 

140 Knox County residents are currently in the hospital. Up from 134 on Tuesday, but down significantly from two weeks ago.

While the number of reported deaths is disturbing, it is important to note that deaths are a lagging indicator. It is not unexpected given the surge of cases and hospitalizations over the past two months.

Health leaders said they are "cautiously optimistic" about the recent downward trend in new cases and hospitalizations.

Knox County's benchmarks have also improved, from all five being red lights to now three red and two yellow.

New cases are at yellow, as that number is starting to trend down. Testing is also yellow.

Contact tracing remains red.

Hospitalizations are also red, as it has been since Dec. 2, when there were 130 Knox Co. residents and 433 people overall in the city's hospitals. On this Wednesday, there are 510 hospitalized for COVID-19 in East Tennessee. 

Hospitalizations are still at historically high levels and surge capacity is still in the red zone. Currently, there are 13 ICU beds available in local hospitals and 149 open non-ICU beds.

Deaths are also red, and worse now than ever. For the last 73 days straight, someone has died of COVID-19 in Knox County. There have been 92 deaths in January so far, more than were reported from March until November last year.

January 19

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 190 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 40,335. 

Two more people have died, for a total of 409 COVID-19 deaths in Knox County. 

For the fifth straight day, the number of people in the county who are fighting COVID-19 in hospital beds is down. 134 are currently in the hospital. Down from 142 on Monday. This is still the lowest number hospitalized since the day after Christmas.

January 18

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 313 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 40,145. 

Nine more people have died, for a total of 407 COVID-19 deaths in Knox County. 

For the fourth straight day, the number of people in the county who are fighting COVID-19 in hospital beds is down. 142 are currently in the hospital. Down from 146 on Sunday. This is still the lowest number hospitalized since the day after Christmas.

January 17

The Knox County Health Department reports 217 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the county's pandemic total of confirmed and probable cases to 39,832. Of those cases, 4,104 cases are considered active. That's down 288 cases from the day before.

Two more people have died, meaning in total 398 people from Knox County died of the virus since March 2020.

One fewer person is in the hospital, bringing the current hospitalization total to 146 people.

January 16

Five more people have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the total pandemic deaths in Knox County to 396.

The Knox County Health Department also reports 290 new cases, for a total of 39,615 confirmed and probable cases in the county. Of those, 4,392 are considered active cases.

Hospitalizations continue to slowly drop. Today 147 Knox County residents are in the hospital battling COVID-19, compared to 153 yesterday.

January 15

Knox County Health Department is reporting 269 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 39,325 confirmed and probable cases in Knox County.

Five new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 391. 

There are currently 4,559 active cases in the county, and 153 people are currently hospitalized. 

January 14

Knox County Health Department is reporting 354 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 39,056 confirmed and probable cases in Knox County.

Three deaths were reported, bringing the total to 386. 62 deaths have been reported this month, the same number reported during November.

170 people are currently hospitalized.

January 13

We saw some slight improvement in Knox County COVID-19 numbers on Wednesday, however, numbers are still very high.

There are currently 4,936 active cases, down from 5,397 on Tuesday. Still, 230 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 38,702.

Four new deaths were reported, however, bringing that total to 383.

Hospitalizations also dipped by ten, from 177 to 167.

January 12

The Knox County Health Department on Tuesday reported six more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths up to 379. There are currently 5,397 active cases, down by 20 from yesterday's all-time high.

246 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 38,472.

177 people are currently hospitalized, down by three from Monday. So far, a total of 946 Knox County residents have been hospitalized. 

January 11

The Knox County Health Department reported three more deaths of people after contracting COVID-19, bringing the total to 373. There are currently 5,417 active cases, the highest reported number since March.

446 new cases were reported. There have now been 38,226 confirmed and probable cases in Knox County.

The current number of hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents is now 180, an increase of 10 since Sunday. So far, 936 total residents have been hospitalized since the pandemic began.

January 10

Five more people from Knox County have died after contracting COVID-19, per the Knox County Health Department. That brings the county's pandemic death total to 370 people.

KCHD reports 414 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 37,780 since March. Of those cases, 5,262 are considered active.

One fewer person is in the hospital, bringing that number down to 170 people currently hospitalized. Overall, that number has dropped by 35 since Jan. 5.

January 9

Four more people have died due to COVID-19 according the Knox County Health Department, bringing the pandemic total to 365 deaths in the county. Just this month, 41 people have died.

They report 471 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 37,366. Of those cases, 4,924 are considered active. That's an increase of 467 cases from the day before.

Two fewer people are in the hospital, bringing that number down to 171 people currently hospitalized.

January 8

The Knox County Health Dept. reported 527 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of probable and confirmed cases to 36,895. There are currently 4,457 active cases.

Two additional deaths were reported, bringing the total to 361 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County, and 173 people are currently hospitalized -- down by 5 from Thursday.

January 7

The Knox County Health Dept. reported 525 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of active and confirmed cases to 36,368. There are currently 4,634 active cases.

Six additional deaths were reported, bringing the total to 359 Knox Co. residents who died after contracting COVID-19.

The number of Knox County residents dropped by ten to 178. The total number of residents who have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since March is 873.

January 6

For the first time in six weeks, Knox County's benchmarks measuring the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects showed slight improvement Wednesday. But the changes likely don't represent a strong trend yet.

The level of new virus cases has been going down, but experts caution that's likely because the volume of testing has gone down during the holidays. The Knox County Health Department is showing the benchmark as yellow, or cautionary, improved from its previous red status.

The department also shows the testing turnaround time benchmark now at yellow instead of red. The current reduction in the time it takes to get testing done with results could also be related to lower recent test volumes.

The other three benchmarks remain at red, a warning sign of a lack of progress. They reference the death rate from the virus, a reduced ability to keep up with contact tracing and concerns about hospital system capacity.

There were 314 new COVID-19 cases reported in Knox County on Tuesday along with seven additional deaths, bringing the total to 353.

Since March, there have been 35,843 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. 4,674 cases are currently active.

The number of Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized dropped from a record 205 on Tuesday to 188 on Wednesday. There have been 857 total hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents since the pandemic began.

January 5

Thirteen additional deaths have been reported in Knox County due to COVID-19, according to the Knox County Health Dept. That record daily number brings the total deaths since March to 346.

260 new cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March to 35,529. 4,918 of those cases are currently active.

KCHD reported 13 new hospitalizations, bringing the total to 205, another record number. 

January 4

Three more Knox Co. residents have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the total deaths to 333.

Right now, there are 4,657 active cases in the community, with 192 residents in the hospital. The hospitalization number continues to grow to record numbers each day.

Since March, there have been 35,269 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Knox County. There were 257 new cases reported on Monday.

January 3

KCHD reported a significant jump in hospitalizations overnight. 191 people who live in Knox County are currently fighting COVID-19 from a hospital bed. That's up twelve people from the day prior. 

The county reported 501 new infections for a total of 35,012. One more person who lives in Knox County died from the virus, which brings the total dead to 330.

The number of inactive cases crossed 30,000 for the first time.

January 2

More Knox County residents are in the hospital with COVID-19 than ever before, amid concerns a post-holiday surge could "completely break" the medical system.

KCHD reported 493 more people diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total to 34,511. It also reported three more deaths tied to the virus, bringing the total reported to 329. 

179 Knox County residents are currently in the hospital, a record high. 

January 1

On this New Year's Day, two additional Knox Co. residents have been added to the list of those who died after contracting COVID-19. The number of dead is now 326.

Knox Co. reported 355 new cases, bringing the total of active and confirmed cases since March to 33,663. Right now, 4,915 cases are active.

175 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized.

December 31

Nine additional Knox Co. residents have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total to 324.

There are currently 5,073 active cases in Knox County and 689 additional cases were reported on Thursday. The total number of cases reported in Knox Co. since March is 33,663.

The number of current hospitalizations in Knox Co. residents has fallen to 169, down from 177 on Wednesday.

December 30

The Knox County Health Department reported a new record-high 177 people in the hospital and 3 more deaths due to COVID-19 Wednesday.

Current hospitalizations rose from 163 Tuesday. A total of 315 people who lived in Knox County have died of COVID-19.

KCHD reported 275 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 32,974. Of those, 4,901 are active

December 29

The Knox County Health Department reported a record-high 163 people in the hospital and six more deaths to COVID-19 Tuesday.

Current hospitalizations rose by six from Monday to 163. A total of 312 people who lived in Knox County have died of COVID-19.

KCHD reported 234 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 32,699. Of those, 5,268 are active.

Credit: WBIR

December 28

More than 300 people in Knox Co. have been lost to COVID-19 as of today after the Knox County Health Department reported 7 new deaths.  A total of 306 people in the county have died since the start of the pandemic. 

134 of those deaths have been reported in the month of December alone. This month has been the deadliest month for the virus locally -- more than doubling the total number of reported deaths from November and exceeding the combined number of all reported COVID deaths from March to October.

Credit: WBIR

KCHD reported 32,465 total confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday, up by 256 from Sunday.

The number of current hospitalizations remains at 157.

December 27

KCDH reported six new deaths and 312 new COVID-19 cases Sunday. 299 people in Knox County have now died from the virus.

Currently, there are a record high 157 Knox Co. residents in the hospital with COVID-19, up from 138 Saturday.

There have been a total of 32,209 cases of COVID-19 in the county.

December 26

The Knox County Health Department said three more people died from COVID-19, bringing the total to 293 in the county.

The health department also reported 565 new cases, for a total of 31,897.

Hospitalizations remained the same, with 138 residents currently in the hospital.

December 25

Knox County recorded 3 more deaths Friday. The total for the year is now 290.

There are 138 Knox Countians in the hospital, down from a record high 152 the day before.

The total number of people who have been in the hospital since March because of the virus is 741.

There are currently 4,843 active cases in Knox County, down from 5,416 the day before.

As of Friday, there were 428 new reported cases, figures show.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox County this year is 31,332.

December 24

Knox County recorded 9 new deaths Thursday. Also, there are now 152 Knox Countians in the hospital, a new high.

This year, 287 Knox County residents have died because of virus complications. 

The total number of people who have been in the hospital since March because of the virus is 725.,

There are currently 5,416 active cases in Knox County, down from 5,429 on Wednesday.

As of Thursday, there were 539 new reported cases, figures show.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox County this year is 30,904.

December 23

All five of Knox County's COVID-19 benchmarks remained red for the week beginning Dec. 13 as cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to increase and continue to strain the county's healthcare and testing resources.

Knox County recorded six new deaths on Wednesday, and hospitalizations of Knox Countians is now at 145.

This year, 278 Knox County residents have died because of virus complications. 

The total number of people who have been in the hospital since March because of the virus is 719.

There are currently 5,429 active cases in Knox County, up from 5,152 on Tuesday. That means an increase of 277 active cases as of Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, there were 284 new reported cases, figures show.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox County this year is 30,365.

December 22

Knox County recorded six new deaths on Tuesday and a record-high number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

This year, 272 Knox County residents have died because of the coronavirus. There are currently 150 residents hospitalized, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 712.

There are currently 5,152 active cases in Knox County.

Five-hundred new cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox County to 30,081.

December 21

The Knox County Health Department reported 640 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 29,581 cases.

Three more deaths were reported, bringing the total to 266. Right now, 146 Knox Co. residents are hospitalized, an increase of ten since Sunday.

There are currently 5,181 active cases in Knox Co.

December 20

The Knox County Health Department reported 5 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the total to 263 deaths.

KCHD reports 417 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 28,878 since the start of the pandemic.

Current hospitalizations remain the same at 136 people.

December 19

Eleven more people in Knox County died due to COVID-19, tying a record set on Wednesday. That brings the total to 258 deaths.

The health department reported 818 new cases, a new single-day record high, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 28,461.

Two fewer hospitalizations mean now 136 Knox County residents are in the hospital for COVID-19.

December 18

Ten more Knox Co. residents have died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Knox Co. Health Dept. That brings the total number of deaths to 247.

There are currently 4,569 active cases, an increase of seven since Thursday. As of Friday, there are 138 Knox Co. residents who are hospitalized, an increase of ten.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox Co. now stands at 27,643, an increase of 494.

December 17

The Knox County Health Department is reporting three new deaths and 767 new cases of COVID-19.

As of Thursday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the county is 27,149 and the total number of deaths is 237.

There are 4,562 active cases and 127 Knox County residents are hospitalized.

December 16

Eleven more Knox County residents have died due to complications from COVID-19, setting a grim new record during the pandemic. The total number of residents who have died is now 234.

539 new cases were reported on Wednesday, making 26,382 the total number of confirmed and probable cases in Knox County since March.

There are currently 4,272 active cases and 128 Knox Co. residents hospitalized.

December 15

The Knox County Health Department reported five more people have died to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 223.

558 new cases were reported, the third-highest increase following Monday and Sunday. A total of 25,843 confirmed and probable cases have been reported as of Tuesday. 

Roughly 13% of all cases in Knox County have been reported in the past 7 days alone. In the past three days, there have been 1,756 new cases reported and 12 new deaths -- which is more than both the total number of Knox County cases and deaths that were reported in the first four months of the pandemic from mid-March through mid-July.

Active cases continued to rise to a new record high of 4,301.

Current hospitalizations decreased for a second day in a row by 10 to 122.

Credit: WBIR

December 14

The Knox County Health Department reported five more people have died to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths up to 218.

579 new cases were reported, the second-highest daily increase after yesterday's record spike. A total of 25,285 cases have been reported since the start of the pandemic.

Active cases hit yet another new record of 3,953 -- up by 553 from yesterday. 

Current hospitalizations decreased by 11 to 132.

To put it into perspective: 1 in 20 people in Knox County tested positive since March 1. Ten days ago, it was 1 in 25. For active cases: 1 in 125 people in Knox County is currently positive. Ten days ago, it was 1 in 200. The number of people in Knox County who've tested positive since March would more than fill Thompson-Boling Arena and is greater than the population of Farragut.

December 13

KCHD reports 619 new COVID-19 cases, a new single-day record in Knox County as cases rose to 24,706.

There are currently 3,400 active cases, an increase of 88 from yesterday and another new record.

Two more people died, bringing the total to 213 deaths.

Hospitalizations rose by 12, meaning 143 people in Knox County are currently hospitalized with the virus.

December 12

Three more people died of the coronavirus, bringing Knox County's total to 211 deaths for the year, according to the Knox County Health Department.

KCHD also reported 438 new cases, bringing the total to 24,087 confirmed and probably cases for the year. There are currently 3,312 active cases, up from 406 yesterday.

Three more people are hospitalized, which brings current hospitalizations to 131.

December 11

The Knox County Health Department reported five more deaths to COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of deaths to 208 in Knox County. That makes 41 deaths reported in the month of December alone so far.

KCHD reported 424 new cases since Thursday for a total of 23,649 confirmed and probable cases. Active cases rose to 2,906.

Current hospitalizations decreased for the first time in days by 18 to 128. 655 people in Knox County have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic.

December 10

The Knox County Health Department reported eight more deaths due to COVID-19, the most ever reported in a single day. That brings the total death toll from COVID-19 to 203 in Knox County.

KCHD reported 422 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday for a total of 23,225 cases. There are currently 2,835 active cases.

On the deadliest day of the pandemic thus far, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs issued a statement calling for citizens of the county to stand together:

“I know people are fatigued and frustrated. We’ve been dealing with this pandemic for eight months and I know we’re all doing the best we can. Sadly, now we have seen over 200 deaths as well as indirect and collateral damage such as rising drug-related deaths, suicides, food insecurity and the closure of our public schools.

Nevertheless, we must keep going as a community. The vaccine is coming - there is help on the way and hope at the end of this. In the meantime, we must continue following good public health guidance and utilizing the five core actions. It is also vitally important that we support, love and care for one another.”

Current hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents continued to grow to new highs at 146, up by 6 from Wednesday. So far, 649 Knox Co. residents have been hospitalized since the pandemic began.

December 9

The Knox County Health Department reported 389 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 22,803.

Two fewer people were currently hospitalized compared to Tuesday, with hospitalizations involving just Knox County residents now at 140. Current hospitalizations across the East Tennessee region, though, have spiked significantly in the past week -- hitting a new high of 524.

Credit: WBIR

One more person died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of Knox County deaths since the pandemic started to 195.

Knox County hospitals remain in the "red" for a second week in a row. KCHD reported capacity remains strained at regional hospitals, with 270 of the 284 available ICU beds being utilized (14 remaining) and 1,763 of 1,861 adult non-ICU beds full (98 remaining).

Credit: WBIR

Some hospitals such as UT Medical Center have begun delaying non-essential procedures again to free up bed space for the influx of new COVID-19 patients. 

The positivity rate for new cases has climbed steadily since the beginning of the month, hitting a new 7-day average high of 22.6% of all tests conducted coming back positive. For comparison, that 7-day average was 15.8% on December 1.

December 8

The Knox County Health Department reported five more deaths to COVID-19 as hospitalizations and new cases continue to climb.

KCHD reported 497 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday for a total of 22,414 cases.

Current hospitalizations continued to grow to new highs at 142, up by 5 from Monday.

194 people total have died to COVID-19.

December 7

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 219 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 21,917.

As of Monday, 1 new death has been reported, bringing the total to 189 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The health department reported a significant rebound in new hospitalizations to a new all-time high. The county reported 14 new hospitalizations Monday for a total of 137 current hospitalizations.

December 6

Hospitalizations rise again with 6 more people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Knox County, bringing the total number current hospitalizations to 123.

The Knox County Health Department also reported 2 new deaths, bringing the total to 188 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, the Knox County Health Department's website reported 418 new cases on Sunday, up to 21,698. That's the second-highest single-day increase of cases since the start of the pandemic.

December 5

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 322 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday - bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 21,280.

Knox County also reported three additional COVID-19 related deaths. This brings the total number of deaths to 186 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of Knox County residents currently hospitalized with complications from the virus decreased by eight to 117 on Saturday.

December 4

COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to increase while hospitalizations are decreasing in Knox County.

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 325 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 20,958. 

Two more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Knox County as of Thursday. A total of 183 Knox Countians have died since the pandemic started.

Hospitalizations have decreased. As of Friday, 125 people are currently hospitalized.

December 3

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase in Knox County.

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 212 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 20,633. 

Two more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Knox County as of Thursday. A total of 181 Knox Countians have died since the pandemic started.

Hospitalizations continue to increase, setting a new all-time high. As of Thursday, 135 people are currently hospitalized.

December 2

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to climb to new highs, and seven more people have died to the virus in Knox County as of Wednesday -- the most reported in a single day since November 17.

In just the first two days of December, the Knox County Health Department reported 12 people died to COVID-19. A total of 179 Knox Countians have died since the pandemic started.

Current hospitalizations rose to a new all-time high of 130 Wednesday, up by 1 from yesterday.

Cases increased by 395 from yesterday to 20,421. Roughly 4% of all COVID-19 cases in Knox County since the pandemic started have been reported in the past two days alone.

December 1

Knox County saw new COVID-19 cases soar by 447 Tuesday, the highest single-day increase since the pandemic started by more than 100 cases. 

Five new deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths up to 172. Nearly 70 of those deaths were reported in the past month alone.

Credit: WBIR

Current hospitalizations hit new a high for yet another day in a row, up by 3 to 129.

Credit: WBIR

With the 447 new cases, Knox County has seen a total of 20,026 confirmed and probable cases. Active cases rose by 446 to 2,578.

Credit: WBIR

November 30

The Knox County Health Department reported 4 new deaths Monday. 167 people total have died to COVID-19.

The county reported a record 126 current hospitalizations, up by one from Sunday.

There were 160 new cases of COVID-19 reported Monday. This brought the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 19,579. Active cases were up by 155 to 2,287.

November 29

The Knox County Health Department reported one new COVID-19 death, bringing the total to 163.

There were 315 new cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday. This brought the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 19,419. Of those, 2,132 are active.

Seven more people are now hospitalized due to the virus, bringing the total to a record 125 people from Knox County who are hospitalized.

November 28

The Knox County Health Department reported two new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 162.

118 people from Knox County are hospitalized due to the virus, down by one from Friday. 

There were 280 new cases of COVID-19 reported Saturday. This brought the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 19,104. 

November 27

The Knox County Health Department reported 5 new COVID-19 deaths and yet another record for hospitalizations for the fifth day in a row.

There were 344 new cases of COVID-19 reported Friday, the second-highest increase in new cases since the pandemic started. This brought the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 18,824. Of those, 1,933 are active -- up by 20 from yesterday.

A record 119 people from Knox County are hospitalized due to the virus, up by 5 from Thursday.

Credit: WBIR

With the 5 new deaths, 160 Knox Countians have died to COVID-19. The month of November has seen the highest number of new deaths reported by far -- nearly twice the number reported in July. KCHD said this has been the deadliest month on record in terms of COVID-19.

Credit: WBIR

November 26

COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to reach new highs for yet another day, increasing by 7 from yesterday to 114.

The figure only includes Knox County residents, and not the many others who live in other counties who may be receiving care in a Knox County hospital.

COVID-19 deaths increased by 2 from Wednesday to 155. Nearly a third of all deaths since the start of the pandemic have been reported in November alone.

There were 178 new cases of COVID-19 reported Thursday for a total of 18,480 cases. 1,913 cases are active, down by 60 from yesterday.

November 25

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 are still climbing in Knox County. On Wednesday, they hit 107, a new high since the pandemic broke out.

The figure only includes Knox County residents, not people who live in other counties who may be hospitalized in a Knox Co. hospital.

Deaths as of Wednesday in Knox County remained at 153.

There were 111 new cases reported, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March to 18,302. There are 1,973 active cases in the county, down from 2,125 the day before.

Also Wednesday, the Knox County Health Department released its weekly assessment of key virus markers or benchmarks tracking the community ability to fight COVID-19.

The results are the same as last week -- almost all red, or warning, benchmarks, or yellow benchmarks.

The department says the positivity case rate over the last 14 days continues to stay at a red, or warning level. 

COVID-19 testing and turnaround time also continues to be rated as red. Ideally, authorities would like to see a 24-hour turnaround time so that those who are positive with the virus can isolate and the department can quickly begin contact tracing. Local turnaround is conservatively estimated at 48-78 hours.

The ability of the department to keep up with tracking cases and suspected exposures remains at a yellow, or cautionary, level. Until recent weeks, this benchmark was green, but the county has seen a surge in positive cases.

Hospital system treatment capabilities again are evaluated as being at a yellow and worsening level. Hospital leaders across the state have warned that ICU beds are filling up and beginning to reach capacity.

The death rate benchmark also remains at red. Deaths from virus complications have risen sharply this month compared with previous month since the March outbreak. Forty-seven people have died so far this month, the worst month ever locally.

November 24

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 continue to rise in Knox County, reaching a new record number on Tuesday of 106 residents hospitalized. This number only includes Knox Co. residents, not people who live in other counties who may be hospitalized in a Knox Co. hospital.

Knox Co. also reported one additional death on Tuesday, bringing the total to 153.

There were 174 new cases reported, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March to 18,191. There are currently 2,125 active cases in Knox Co. 

KCHD reports there are 15,913 inactive cases of COVID-19.

November 23 

Four more deaths have been reported in Knox Co. due to complications from COVID-19, bringing the total to 152.

There are 173 new cases reported on Monday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases since March to 18,017. There are currently 2,332 active cases in Knox Co.

Right now, 99 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized, a new daily record. There have been 562 Knox Co. residents hospitalized since the pandemic began.

November 22

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 2,300 active cases in the county on Sunday, up 54 from Saturday.

There have been a total of 17,844 confirmed and probable cases since the start of the pandemic, up 234 cases from Saturday.

90 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized, and 2 more Knox Co. residents have died from complications related to the virus, bringing the total to 148.

November 21

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 2,246 active cases in the county on Saturday, up 228 from Friday.

There have been a total of 17,610 confirmed and probable cases since the start of the pandemic, up 218 cases from Friday.

82 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. 

The number of Knox Co. residents who have died from complications related to COVID-19 is 146, no change from Friday.

November 20

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 2,018 active cases in the county on Friday.

There have been a total of 17,392 confirmed and probable cases since the start of the pandemic, with 94 new cases Thursday.

86 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized, up three from Thursday. 

The number of Knox Co. residents who have died from complications related to COVID-19 is 146, up six from yesterday.

November 19

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 2,270 active cases in the county on Thursday.

There have been a total of 17,298 confirmed and probable cases since the start of the pandemic, with 244 new cases Wednesday.

 83 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. 

The number of Knox Co. residents who have died from complications related to COVID-19 is 140, up two from yesterday.

Knox County uses benchmarks to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the community. Right now,  all five benchmarks are either red or yellow:

1) Sustained reduction or stability in new cases for 14 days: RED

Health officials said we've reached a record-high in case volumes. We've averaged 215 new cases per day in the last seven days, which is very concerning.

2) Community-wide sustained and increased diagnostic testing with consistent or decreased test result reporting turnaround time: RED

With increasing cases comes increased testing, and that has slowed the turnaround time for test results. It's averaging 4-5 days for people to get the results back from their COVID test.

3) Sustained or increased public health capability: YELLOW

Community-wide transmission is having an impact on investigations and contact tracing. Because the virus is everywhere, it's tough for contact tracers to track the source. In addition, more people are refusing to cooperate with contact tracers.

4) Health care system capabilities remain within current and forecasted surge capacity: YELLOW Worsening (Rising)

While the hospitals are handling the number of patients, there is concern as the numbers keep rising. Right now, there are 341 people hospitalized in the East Tennessee region, which includes several Knoxville hospitals.

Right now, our hospitals are handling the caseload, but it is becoming more difficult with staffing and resources.

5) Sustained or decreased COVID-19 related death rate for identified positive or probable cases: RED

Knox County had has ten deaths in the last seven days and 26 in the last two weeks, an all-time high.

November 18

The Knox County Health Department reported 137 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. There have been a total of 17,054 confirmed and probable cases in the county since the start of the pandemic.

Right now, there are 2,195 active cases and 91 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. That's an increase of five since Tuesday and another record.

The number of Knox Co. residents who have died from complications related to COVID-19 is 138.

Knox County uses benchmarks to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the community. Right now,  all five benchmarks are either red or yellow:

1) Sustained reduction or stability in new cases for 14 days: RED

2) Community-wide sustained and increased diagnostic testing with consistent or decreased test result reporting turnaround time: RED

3) Sustained or increased public health capability: YELLOW

4) Health care system capabilities remain within current and forecasted surge capacity: YELLOW Worsening (Rising)

5) Sustained or decreased COVID-19 related death rate for identified positive or probable cases: RED

November 17

Nearly all COVID-19 metrics broke records in Knox County Tuesday as COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations continued to worsen.

Knox County reported 7 new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, the most deaths by far in a single day since the start of the pandemic. November is now the deadliest month on record since the start of the pandemic, and there is still half a month to go. 

Hospitalizations grew to 86 -- the most seen concurrently in the county for another day in a row.

The Knox County Health Department reported 394 new cases -- continuing the trend of record-breaking new cases for the third day in a row. There have been a total of 16,917 cases in the county since the start of the pandemic.

Active cases are now up to 2,263 -- up by 312. In the past two days, there have been 645 new active cases added.

November 16

Hospitalizations and new cases in Knox County continue to hit new highs for another day in a row. 

The Knox County Health Department reported 84 current hospitalizations, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. That's up by 5 since Sunday.

Credit: WBIR
COVID-19 current hospitalizations as of November 16, 2020

The number of new cases hit another record. Knox County reported 343 new cases Monday, bringing total confirmed and probable cases up to 16,523. Active cases rose by 333 to 1,951. KCHD has reported more than 577 in the last two days alone. For perspective, the county reported 524 confirmed cases in all of June. 

Credit: WBIR
COVID-19 New Cases as of November 16, 2020

One more person has died to COVID-19 in the county. KCHD reported 131 total deaths Monday. Knox County's reported deaths in November have already surpassed both all of October and August.

Credit: WBIR
COVID-19 monthly deaths as of November 16, 2020

November 15

The Knox County Health Department reported 271 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, setting a record for new cases and bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 16,180.

There are currently 79 Knox County residents hospitalized with the virus, an all-time high for the county. That's up three people from Saturday.

The number of active cases decreased from yesterday by 3 to 1,618.

There were two new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic at 130. Knox County's reported deaths in November are now higher than all of October and tied with all of August.

November 14

The Knox County Health Department reported 138 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 15,909.

There are currently 76 Knox County residents hospitalized with the virus - that's up one person from Friday.

The number of active cases increased from yesterday by 137 to 1,621.

There were no new deaths, keeping the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic at 128.

November 13

The Knox County Health Department reported three more COVID-19 deaths Friday, and there have now been more deaths so far in November than the entire month of October.

With more than half of November remaining, there have been 23 deaths so far this month. Knox County reported 21 COVID-19 deaths across the month of October. Since the start of the pandemic, 128 people have died in Knox County from the virus. 

Cases also continue to rise in the county, with 179 new cases reported Friday. So far, there have been 15,771 cases total. Active cases are down from yesterday by 162 to 1,484.

Hospitalizations remained unchanged from Thursday at 75. 

November 12

The Knox County Health Department reported 158 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases locally to 15,592. Active cases rose by 155 for a total of 1,646.

No new deaths were reported Thursday.

Hospitalizations rose by 5 from Wednesday and are now up to 75.

November 11

The Knox County Health Department reported four new deaths related to COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 125.

There have been 20 deaths this month so far, figures show. In all of October, there 21.

The Health Department sets benchmarks that gauge progress in fighting the virus. Its benchmarks this week include a "red" mark or warning sign about the high rate of deaths from virus complications over recent days.

The department also is showing red light benchmarks indicating concern over the county's rising case rate and testing turnaround time. The department considers its ability to track the virus to be at a "green" light level, and area hospitals continue to report a cautionary or "yellow" light for their capacity and capability to treat virus patients.

Also Wednesday, the Health Department reported 134 new cases, bringing the total since the pandemic to 15,434.

As of Wednesday, there are 1,491 active cases, a decline of 201 from the day before.

Hospitalizations are at 70, a decline of 8 since Tuesday.

November 10

The Knox County Health Department reported two new deaths related to COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 121.

There have been 16 deaths in about a week in the county.

The Health Department reported 236 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total since the pandemic emerged to 15,300. The new daily increase exceeds the previous record of 225 on Sept. 15.

Right now there are 1,692 active cases, an increase of 213 since Monday.

Hospitalizations also continue to rise. Right now there are 78 Knox Countians in the hospital with COVID-19 complications. That's up by three since Monday.

November 9

The Knox County Health Department reported three new deaths to COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of deaths up to 119.

This is the fourteenth death in a period of a week.

The health department reported 165 new cases of COVID-19, making the total number of cases 15,064. 1,479 cases are active, an increase of 70 from Sunday.

Hospitalizations also continue to rise. 75 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, up by 6 from Sunday.

November 8

The Knox Country Health Department is reporting 191 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The total number of confirmed and probable cases now stands at 14,899.

There was also one new death related to the virus, bringing that total to 116.

The number of Knox County residents who are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 complications dropped to 69 and there are 1,409 active cases.

November 7

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 2 additional COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, bringing the total to 115 deaths.

There are also 14,708 total confirmed and probable cases - that's an increase of 151 new cases from Friday.

There are 72 Knox County residents currently hospitalized and 1,432 active cases.

November 6

Two more deaths related to COVID-19 were reported in Knox Co. on Friday, along with 118 new cases.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases now stands at 14,557 with 113 total deaths.

There are currently 1,409 active cases in Knox County, a decrease from Thursday. The number of Knox Co. residents hospitalized increased from 69 to 72.

November 5

On Thursday, Knox Co. reported 193 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths. 

The total number of confirmed and probable cases now stands at 14,439 with 111 total deaths. 

There are currently 1,447 active cases and 69 Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized.

November 4

Knox County reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 14,246.

There are currently 1,284 active cases, down by 18 from Tuesday.

69 people are currently hospitalized, up by 5 from yesterday. 

No new deaths have been reported. In total, 109 Knox Co. residents have died.

November 3

Knox County reported 147 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and two additional deaths. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 14,121 since the pandemic began. In total, 109 Knox Co. residents have died.

There are currently 1,302 active cases of the coronavirus and 64 Knox Co. residents hospitalized due to COVID-19.  

November 2

Knox County reported 172 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and two additional deaths. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 13,974 since the pandemic began. 107 Knox Co. residents have died.

There are currently 1,332 active cases of the coronavirus and 62 Knox Co. residents hospitalized due to COVID-19.  

November 1

There were no updated numbers on Sunday because of computer maintenance at the state level.

October 31

Knox County reported 115 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, but no additional deaths. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 13,802 since the pandemic began.

There are currently 1,435 active cases of the coronavirus. Hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents remained at 67.

October 30

Knox County reported two more COVID-19 deaths Friday, bringing the total number of deaths to 105.

The Knox County Health Department reported 149 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 13,687.

There are currently 1,453 active cases, up by 22 from yesterday.

Hospitalizations rose by 4 to 67.

October 29

Knox County reported 84 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, but no additional deaths. The total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 13,538 since the pandemic began.

There are currently 1,431 active cases of the coronavirus. Hospitalizations of Knox Co. residents fell from 69 to 63.

October 28

Two more people have died to COVID-19 in Knox County, bringing the total number of deaths to 103 as of Wednesday.

The Knox County Health Department reported 115 new cases of the virus for a total of 13,454 cases. Active cases fell to 1,472, down by 53 from Tuesday.

Hospitalizations rose by 2 to 69. 

October 27

The Knox County Health Department reported 111 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday for a total of 13,339 cases.

1,525 case are active, up by 108 from yesterday. 

Hospitalizations fell to 67, down by 9 from Monday. No new deaths were reported.

October 26

The Knox County Health Department reported 165 new cases of COVID-19 Monday and one new death.

101 people have now died to COVID-19.

A total of 13,228 people have been infected, with active cases up by 51 to a total of 1,417.

76 people are currently hospitalized, down by one from Sunday.

October 25

The Knox County Health Department reported 131 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 13,063.

Active cases are up by seven from Saturday for a total of 1,366.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 100.

Hospitalizations rose by eight from Saturday to a total of 77 people currently hospitalized.

October 24

The Knox County Health Department reported 207 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 12,932.

Active cases are up by 83 from Friday for a total of 1,359.

No new deaths were reported.

Hospitalizations rose by two to a total of 69 people currently hospitalized.

October 23

The Knox County Health Department Friday reported 93 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 12,725.

Active cases are down by 32 from Thursday for a total of 1,276.

No new deaths were reported.

Hospitalizations rose by 3 from Thursday to a total of 67 people currently hospitalized.

October 22

The Knox County Health Department reported two new COVID-19 deaths for a second day in a row, bringing the total number of deaths to 99.

KCHD reported 140 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 12,632. 1,308 are active cases, up by 10 from yesterday.

Current hospitalizations remained at 64. KCHD said in its Thursday briefing hospitalizations are still very high for the region, but doctors are able to keep up with the number of new patients. 

KCHD is asking people to continue taking the rise in cases and hospitalizations seriously, particularly as colder weather drives people indoors and puts them in close contact with each other, heightening the risk of infection. Doctors expect COVID-19 hospitalizations to continue rising as they also deal with the seasonal influx of flu patients.

October 21

Knox County reported two new deaths to COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total to 97.

The county reported 74 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 12,492. Active cases decreased by 73 to 1,298.

The health department reported 64 people are currently hospitalized, down by 4 from Tuesday. 

October 20

Knox County reported 149 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 12,418.

Active cases rose significantly by 146 to 1,371. Deaths remain at 95.

Current hospitalizations rose again. The health department reported 68 people are currently hospitalized, up by 4 from Monday.

Health Department Director Dr. Martha Buchanan said Tuesday the spread appears to be occurring among all age groups.

Hospitalization numbers remain concerning, she said. The county's highest number so far has been 70 and current figures stand at 68.

Buchanan urged people to practice standard precautions such as washing their hands often, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask while in public.

It will be up to the Knox County Board of Health to determine if more stringent measures are needed, she said. They meet next week.

October 19

Knox County reported 123 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 12,269. The Knox County Health Department's benchmark for sustained reduction/stability in new cases for 14 days is back to a 'red light' due to the rise in cases.

Active cases rose to 1,225, up by 17 from Sunday. No new deaths were reported.

Current hospitalizations remain at 64 as of Monday morning.

October 18

Knox County reported 2 new COVID-19-related deaths on Sunday, bringing the total to 95.

The county also reported 117 new cases. The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March rose to 12,146.

The health department reported the number of active cases increased by 27 to 1,208.

Current hospitalizations went down by 2. There were 64 Knox County residents hospitalized as of Sunday morning.  

October 17

The Knox County Health Department reported the number of active COVID-19 cases dropped on Saturday to 1,181. That's a decrease of 53 active cases.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March rose to 12,029, meaning there are 54 new cases.

Four more Knox County residents were hospitalized, bringing the total to 66. 

One more death was reported. There have been 93 Knox County deaths since the start of the pandemic.

October 16

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Knox County rose Friday to 1,234. There are 134 new cases. 

The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March is now 11,975, Friday's figures show.

There are currently 62 Knox County residents hospitalized due to complications from the coronavirus. The number has fluctuated this week after reaching a record high of 70.

Two new deaths were reported Friday, taking the total to 92.

October 15

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Knox Co. dropped by 19 on Thursday, from 1,214 to 1,195. The total number of confirmed and probable cases since March now stands at 11,841.

There are currently 57 Knox Co. residents hospitalized due to complications from the coronavirus, down from 63 on Wednesday.

No new deaths were reported on Thursday.

October 14

Knox County reported 1 new COVID-19-related death Wednesday, bringing the total to 90.

There have been 11,761 total confirmed and probable cases in the county since the pandemic began.

Of those, 1,214 are listed as active. That's a decrease of 63 from the day before when there were 1,277. The number had been growing in past days.

Hospitalizations dropped to 63 from 70 the day before. Seventy had been the record high.

A total of 401 people have been hospitalized with virus-related maladies since March.

October 13

Knox Co. reported three new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total to 89.

There have been 11,683 total confirmed and probable cases in the county since the pandemic began. Of those, 1,277 are listed as active, an increase of 146 from Monday.

There are currently 70 Knox Co. residents hospitalized because of COVID-19, another record high. A total of 396 residents have been hospitalized since March.

October 12

The Knox County Health Department reported 144 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

This brings the total number of cases to 11,525.

There are 1,131 active cases -- up by 92 from Sunday.

There are 66 Knox Countians in the hospital being treated for virus complications. That's up from Saturday's count of 61.

Deaths remain at 86 as of Monday.

October 11

The Knox County Health Department reported 109 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. 

This brings the total number of cases to 11,381.

There are 1,039 active cases -- up by 46 from Saturday.

The county did not report any new deaths from the virus.

October 10

Hospitalizations hit their third record high this week. The Knox County Health Department reported 61 current hospitalizations. 

It's an increase of 7 from Friday, and it's the highest number the county has seen the stat of the pandemic. Hospitals in other counties across East Tennessee are seeing similar record highs. 

The county also reported 144 new cases and no new deaths. This brought the total number of cases to 11,272.

There were 993 active cases -- up by 35 from Friday.

October 9

The Knox County Health Department reported one new death to COVID-19 Friday as hospitalizations hit another all-time high this week.

KCHD reported 106 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 11,128.

There are currently 958 active cases -- up by 11 from yesterday.

Hospitalizations for COVID-positive patients rose to their highest levels since the start of the pandemic for the second time this week, up by 3 from yesterday to 54. Hospitals in other counties across East Tennessee are seeing similar record highs.

RELATED: 'We are very concerned' | More people are being hospitalized for COVID-19 in East Tennessee

86 people have died to COVID-19 in Knox County, up by one from Thursday.

Credit: WBIR

October 8

The Knox County Health Department reported 93 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 11,022.

Active cases fell by nearly 100 to 947. 

No new deaths were reported.

Hospitalizations remain unchanged from Wednesday at 51. 

The most recent picture of the regional health care system locally shows COVID-positive inpatients at hospitals began to surge last week. In a period of five days from October 2 to October 6 -- positive inpatients increased by nearly 50 from 146 to 192. ICU patients increased from 42 to 55, and ventilated patients increased from 16 to 24.

KCHD said people need to pay particularly close attention and take the number of hospitalizations seriously, because it's "trending in the wrong direction" and on Wednesday hit its highest level since the pandemic began despite fewer people being tested locally. Because of the opposing trends, worries are growing that people with COVID-19 may be avoiding getting tested. 

Based on hospital capacity and capability, KCHD said the county is still in adequate shape to respond despite 12 consecutive "red flag" days for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

October 7

The Knox County Health Department reported 113 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases up to 10,929.

Active cases remained roughly the same at 1,043 -- down by 2 from yesterday.

Knox County is currently seeing the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic at 51, up by one from Tuesday.

No new deaths were reported. The number has remained at 85 since the last death was reported on October 4.

October 6

The Knox County Health Department reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases up to 10,816.

Active cases have risen above 1,000 again to 1,045 -- an increase of 60 from yesterday.

Hospitalizations remain at 50 and no new deaths were reported.

October 5

The Knox County Health Department reported 50 people are currently hospitalized to COVID-19 -- which is the most seen since September 6 when that day saw a record number of hospitalizations.

The county reported 85 more COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total up to 10,695. There are currently 987 active cases.

No new deaths were reported, with the number remaining at 85.

Credit: WBIR
Concurrent COVID-19 hospitalizations over time up From July 1 through October 4

October 4

On Sunday, the Knox County Health Department reported 83 new cases of COVID-19. That brings the total number of cases to 10,610.

The Knox County Health Department reported one new COVID-19 death. The county has seen 85 total since the start of the pandemic.

The department also reported 44 current hospitalizations - up 1 from Saturday.

October 3

The Knox County Health Department reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday-- bringing the total number of cases to 10,527. 

The Knox County Health Department reported no new COVID-19 deaths. 

43 people are currently hospitalized- up 4 from Friday.

October 2

On Friday, The Knox County Health Department reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 -- bringing the total number of cases to 10,461.

The Knox County Health Department reported no new COVID-19 deaths.

The department also reported 39 total hospitalizations -- up by 4 from Thursday.

No new deaths were reported, keeping the number of deaths at 84.

October 1

The Knox County Health Department reported no new COVID-19 deaths, keeping the total number of deaths to 84.

On Thursday, 81 new cases were reported -- bringing the total number of cases to 10,395.

Active cases decreased by 560 to 956 total. However, the sharp decrease is almost entirely due to Knox County fixing a discrepancy with how it receives state data on active and inactive cases. Hospitalizations also decreased by 1 to 35.

The Knox County Health Department and Knox County Board of Health discussed the reporting change Wednesday, saying it fixes a discrepancy they discovered when they realized the state had been sending the county geocoded data for inactive cases -- which is based simply on the person's address on record -- rather than jurisdictional data, which includes people who physically reside in Knox County but are legal residents of other counties/states.

On Thursday, KCHD emphasized the total number of cases remains the same after this change, and this fix now represents the true disease burden locally. Inactive cases increased dramatically as a result of the change, primarily because the jurisdictional data includes hundreds of University of Tennessee students out of isolation who physically live in Knoxville, but claim legal residency in another county or state. The fix in reporting now includes those out-of-county/state students in its inactive case counts.

“We know this is confusing, but the bottom line is our confirmed cases are accurate and have not changed,” KCHD said.

September 30

The Knox County Health Department reported one new COVID-19 death, bringing the total number of deaths to 84.

On Wednesday, 59 new cases were reported -- bringing the total number of cases to 10,314.

Active cases decreased by 64 to 1,516 total.

Hospitalizations also decreased by 2 to 36.

September 29

The Knox County Health Department said a database error caused its inactive cases to drop in its daily report -- causing active COVID-19 cases incorrectly increase by 337. The error has been fixed, and the actual number of active cases for Tuesday actually decreased by 22 to 1,580.

58 new cases of COVID-19 were reported -- bringing the total number of cases to 10,255.

No new deaths were reported. Since March, 83 people have died due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

Hospitalizations decreased by 3 to 38.

September 28

The Knox County Health Department said two more people have died to COVID-19 since Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths locally to 83. 117 new cases were reported to bring the total number of cases to 10,197.

The number of active cases increased for the first time since September 22, up slightly to 1,602 since Sunday.

 The number of hospitalizations remains at 41 Monday. 

September 27

The Knox County Health Department said one more person has died to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 81. KCHD reported 75 new cases Sunday to bring the total number of cases up to 10,080.

The number of active cases continues drop- down to 1,597. 

The county reported two new hospitalizations Sunday, bringing the total number of people currently hospitalized to 41. 

September 26

The Knox County Health Department said two more people has died to COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths to 80.

The county also reported 112 new COVID-19 cases. That brings the total number of cases to 10,005. 

Active cases continue to drop, with the health department reporter 1,613 active cases Saturday- down 20 from Friday. 

The number of hospitalizations stayed steady at 39. 

September 25

The Knox County Health Department said one more person has died to COVID-19, reporting 80 new cases Friday to bring the total number of cases up to 9,893.

The number of active cases in the county continued to decline by 79 to 1,633.

With the newest death, 78 people in the county have died to the virus.

Hospitalizations continue to rise, with 39 people now in the hospital -- up by two from yesterday. 

September 24

The Knox County Health Department reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 9,813.

The number of active cases continued to decrease by 56 to 1,712. 

No new deaths were reported, which remain at 77.

Hospitalizations remain on the rise, with 37 people now hospitalized -- up by 4 from yesterday.

County health leaders said Wednesday they are concerned decreases in the number of reported cases recently could be due to fewer people seeking testing, citing the rise in hospitalizations and lower testing numbers.

September 23

The Knox County Health Department reported 1 new COVID-19 death Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to 77.

The number of cases increased by 55, bringing the total number of cases to 9,747.

Active cases decreased by 62 from Tuesday to 1,768.

There are currently 33 people hospitalized, up by 4 people from yesterday.

September 22

The Knox County Health Department reported 3 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 76. 

The number of cases increased by 86, bringing the total number of cases to 9,692. 

The number of active cases went down by 4 to 1,830. 

There are currently 29 people hospitalized, down by 2 from yesterday. 

September 21

The Knox County Health Department reported 109 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 9,606.

No new deaths were reported, leaving the total at 73.

The number of active cases increased by 22 to 1,834.

There are currently 31 people hospitalized, up by 1 from yesterday.

September 20

The Knox County Health Department reported 76 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. That brings the total to 9,497 cases.

No new deaths were reported. 

The number of active cases decreased by 34 from yesterday to 1,812. 

There are 30 people currently hospitalized-- an increase of 1 from yesterday.

September 19

The Knox County Health Department reported 181 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. That brings the total to 9,421 cases.

The Health Department also reports 2 new deaths, bringing that total to 73.

The number of active cases increased from yesterday to 1,846. 

There are 29 people currently hospitalized-- a decrease by 2 from yesterday.

September 18

The Knox County Health Department reported 97 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 9,240. 

Active cases have dipped back below 2,000 -- at 1,797. 

Three new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 71. 

Current hospitalizations declined by 3 from Thursday to 31. 

September 17

The Knox County Health Department reported 160 new COVID-19 cases Thursday for a total of 9,143 cases since the start of the pandemic. 

Active cases are at 2,183, up by 159 from 2,024.

One new death was reported. There have been 68 since March among county residents.

Current hospitalizations rose by 5 from Wednesday to 34.

September 16

The Knox County Health Department reported 69 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday for a total of 8,983 cases. 

Active cases are at 2,024, up by 69 from 1,955.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 67 since March among county residents.

Current hospitalizations declined by 5 from Tuesday to 29.

September 15

The Knox County Health Department reported 225 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, the largest single-day count since the pandemic emerged.

Total cases are now at 8,914, up from 8,689 on Monday.

Active cases are at 1,955, up from 1,851.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 67 since March among county residents. 

Current hospitalizations remained at 34.

September 14

The Knox County Health Department reported 77 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,689.

Active cases dropped by 12 to 1,851.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 67 since March among county residents. 

Current hospitalizations increased by 1 to 34.

September 13

The Knox County Health Department reported 129 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,612.

Active cases also dropped by 75 to 1,863.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 67 since March among county residents.

Hospitalizations dropped by 8 to 33.

September 12

The Knox County Health Department reported 192 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,483.

Active cases also dropped by 40 to 1,938.

3 new deaths were reported. There have been 67 since March among county residents.

Hospitalizations stayed steady at 41.

September 11

The Knox County Health Department reported 131 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,291.

Active cases also rose by 131 to 1,978.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 64 since March among county residents.

Hospitalizations are 41, up from 38 the day before.

September 10

The Knox County Health Department reported Thursday 127 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,160.

Active cases rose by 49 to 1,847.

No new deaths were reported. There have been 64 since March among county residents.

Hospitalizations are 38, down from 47 the day before.

September 9

The Knox County Health Department reported Wednesday 103 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 8,033.

Active cases fell by 54 to 1,798. No new deaths were reported.

Hospitalizations rose by 5 to 47.

September 8

The Knox County Health Department reported Tuesday one new death and 88 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 7,930 in Knox County.

The number of active cases rose by 26, from 1,826 to 1,852.

Hospitalizations rose by one to 42 and 64 people have died from the virus.

September 7

The Knox County Health Department reported Monday another new high daily COVID-19 case count -- 171.

The Health Department said the new tally brings the total number of cases to 7,842 in the county since March.

The number of active cases rose 106, from 1,720 to 1,826.

Hospitalizations fell, however -- from 50 on Sunday to 41 on Monday.

Also, the county saw one new death. Authorities say 63 people have died from virus complications. 

Knox County's recent case count rise coincides with the resumption of classes at the University of Tennessee. The university since last last week has also seen a sharp virus case count increase.

September 6

The Knox County Health Department is reporting a record number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on Sunday.

The Health Department says there are 224 new cases-- bringing the total number of cases to 7,671. 

There are also 50 Knox County residents currently hospitalized. That's 9 new hospitalizations since yesterday.

The number of active cases also increased. The Health Department says there are now 1,720 active COVID-19 cases, up by 147 from yesterday.

September 5

The Knox County Health Department is now reporting 7,447 total COVID-19 cases. That is an increase of 164 cases from Friday.

Of the total, 1,573 of those cases are active -- a decrease from Friday. No new deaths or hospitalizations were reported.

The Health Department also reported 5,812 inactive cases. Inactive cases include anyone who has lingering symptoms but is no longer considered infectious according to the CDC.

September 4

The Knox County Health Department reported 142 new cases of COVID-19 since Thursday, for a total of 7,263 cases. 

There are currently 2,407 active cases in Knox County -- up by 25.

No new deaths were reported. 41 people are currently hospitalized, which is three fewer than Thursday.

There are currently 4,814 inactive cases. Knox County now reports "inactive cases" instead of "recovered cases." Inactive cases will include those who may have lingering symptoms but will no longer be considered infectious according to the CDC. After 14 days since the onset of symptoms, they will be considered inactive. 

KCHD said they changed the reporting to match how the state now reports inactive/recovered cases daily.

Read More: Tennessee shortens time frame for reporting COVID-19 recoveries down to 14 days

September 3

The Knox County Health Department reported 2,382 active cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 62. 

The total number of cases has passed 7,000 -- now at 7,141. 

The number of recoveries has grown to 4,697, which is 86 more than Wednesday. 

There are also 44 people who are currently hospitalized, which is fewer than Wednesday.  

September 2

The Knox Co. Health Dept. reported 2,317 active cases of COVID-19 and one additional death, bringing the total to 59.

The 2,317 active cases indicate an upward trend given that the previous peak was 2,318 on August 17.

There have been 6,987 cases since March and 4,611 people have recovered.

There are currently 48 Knox County residents hospitalized because of COVID-19. KCHD is reporting more Knox County residents are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 than ever before. The previous peak was 47 in mid-July.

September 1

The Knox County Health Department reported 90 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 6,876.

There are currently 2,316 active cases in Knox County. 

No new deaths were reported.  

The number of recoveries remained at 4,502, the same number reported on Monday. 

Three more people are in the hospital compared to Monday, with 45 currently hospitalized. There have been 266 total hospitalizations in the county.

August 31

The Knox County Health Department reported 70 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 6,786. Active cases have risen by 15 to 2,226.

One new death was reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 58.

The number of recoveries grew to 4,502.

Three fewer people are in the hospital compared to Sunday, with 42 currently hospitalized. There have been 264 total hospitalizations in the county.

August 30

The Knox County Health Department reported 138 new cases for a total of 6,716 cases in the county. Of that total, 6,486 are confirmed and 230 are probable.

The number of recoveries has grown to 4,448. 

Active cases have risen to 2,211 and 5 more people have been hospitalized bringing the number of current hospitalizations to 45.

One new death bringing the total to 57. 

August 29

The Knox County Health Department reported 79 new cases for a total of 6,578 cases in the county. Of that total, 6,349 are confirmed cases and 229 are probable.

Active cases and hospitalizations are both down, at 2,116 active cases and 40 people currently hospitalized.

Recoveries are on the rise, with 4,406 people recovered.

No new deaths were reported.

August 28

The Knox County Health Department reported a new total of 6,499 since March. Of that number, 6,272 cases are confirmed and 227 are probable.

The department also said active cases are now at 2,145. 

A total of 4,298 people have recovered. 

As of Friday, 43 residents are in the hospital. There have been a total of 261 hospitalizations since March.

August 27

The Knox County Health Department reported 103 new total COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the county to 6,389 since March. Of that, 6,162 are confirmed and 227 are probable.

The department also said active cases are now at 2,131, an increase of 16 from Wednesday.

A total of 4,202 people have recovered, an increase of 86 from Wednesday.

The county's number of deaths grew by one -- to 56. Health officials identified the fatality as a 70-year-old woman.

So far this month, 23 Knox County residents have died of COVID-19 related complications. Twenty-six people died in July.

As of Thursday, 30 residents are in the hospital. That's a reduction of one patient from Wednesday.

There have been a total of 258 hospitalizations since March.

The KCHD reported the recent downward trend of cases as encouraging but said it was too soon to tell if we had turned a corner. They asked everyone to continue wearing masks, frequent handwashing and cleaning, and maintaining social distance.

August 26

The Knox County Health Department reported 40 new total COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the county to 6,286 since March. Of that, 6,063 are confirmed and 223 are probable.

The department also said active cases are now at 2,115, a reduction of 45 from Tuesday.

A total of 4,116 people have recovered, an increase of 85 from Tuesday.

The county's number of deaths remains at 55. Thirty-one residents remain in the hospital receiving treatment from complications.

There have been a total of 255 hospitalizations since March.

August 25

The Knox County Health Department reported 57 new total COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the county to 6,246 since March. Of that, 6,029 are confirmed and 217 are considered probable.

The department also said active cases are now at 2,160, a reduction of 65 from Monday.

A total of 4,031 people have recovered, an increase of 120 from Monday. 

The county's number of deaths is up by two -- to 55. Thirty-one residents are in the hospital receiving treatment from complications, and there have been a total of 251 hospitalizations -- an increase of two since Monday - since the county began keeping records.

August 24

The Knox County Health Department reported 111 new total COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the county to 6,189 since March. Of that, 5,979 are confirmed and 210 are considered probable.

The department also said active cases are now at 2,225, an increase of 60 cases.

A total of 3,911 people have recovered, about 63 percent of the total number of cases since March.

The county's number of deaths remains at 53. Thirty-six residents are in the hospital receiving treatment from complications, and there have been a total of 249 hospitalizations -- an increase of one since Sunday - since the county began keeping records.

August 23

The Knox County Health Department reported 49 new total COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the count to 6,078. Out of the total cases, 5,870, or almost 97%, are considered confirmed while 208 cases are considered probable. 

KCHD also reported an increase in active cases bringing that current total to 2,165. That is an 18-case increase.

The county's number of deaths and hospitalizations held steady. There have been 53 deaths and 248 total hospitalizations since the county began keeping records.

August 22

The Knox County Health Department reported 119 new total COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the count to 6,029. Out of the total cases, 5,821 of those cases are considered confirmed while 208 cases are considered probable. 

KCHD also reported an increase in active cases bringing that current total to 2,147. That is a 14-case increase.

The department reported one new death from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 53.

The total number of recoveries is 3,829.

The total number of hospitalizations increased by 5 to 248, with 40 people currently hospitalized.

August 21

The Knox County Health Department reported the number of total cases increased by 52 Thursday to 5,910. The number of active cases decreased to 2,133 -- down by 74.

The department reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for a second day in a row Friday, so the total number of deaths remains at 52.

126 more people have recovered -- bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,725. There are currently 40 people hospitalized, three fewer people compared to yesterday. 243 total people have been hospitalized so far -- up by 4.

August 20

The Knox County Health Department reported the number of total cases rose by 127 from Wednesday to 5,858. The number of active cases rose to 2,207 -- up by 10.

The department reported no new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, so the total number of deaths remains at 52.

3,599 people have recovered so far -- up by 117 new recoveries. There are currently 43 people hospitalized, up by 4 from Wednesday. 239 people total have been hospitalized so far.

During a weekly briefing, Dr. Martha Buchanan said the county's benchmarks were trending in a positive direction with consistency, but following the five core actions was absolutely critical to see case counts, deaths and hospitalizations decrease.

August 19

The Knox County Health Department reported one new death from COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 52.

The number of total cases rose by 45 from Tuesday to 5,731. The number of active cases continued to drop to 2,197 -- down by 54.

3,482 people have recovered so far -- up by 98 new recoveries. There are currently 39 people hospitalized, up by 1 from Tuesday. 239 people total have been hospitalized so far.

August 18

The Knox County Health Department reported one new death from COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 51.

The number of total cases rose by 63 from Monday to 5,686. The number of active cases dropped to 2,251 -- down by 67.

3,384 people have recovered so far -- up considerably from yesterday by 129 new recoveries. There are currently 38 people hospitalized, up by 5 from Monday. 236 people total have been hospitalized so far.

August 17

The Knox County Health Department reported one new death from COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 50.

The number of total cases rose by 114 to 5,623. The number of active cases rose to 2,318 -- up by 77 from Sunday.

3,255 people have recovered so far -- up by 36 from Sunday. There are currently 33 people hospitalized, which is down by 1. 236 people total have been hospitalized so far. 

August 16

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 5509 total COVID-19 cases on Saturday. That includes both confirmed and probable cases.

The number of active coronavirus cases rose to 2,241 -- up by 34 from Saturday. So far, the Health Department said 3,219 people have recovered, that's up by 46 from Saturday.

There are 34 people currently hospitalized -- a decrease of 3 people from Saturday.

There were no new deaths from COVID reported Sunday in Knox county, keeping that total at 49.

August 15

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 5,429 total COVID-19 cases on Saturday. That includes both confirmed and probable cases.

The number of active coronavirus cases rose to 2,207 -- up by 15 from Friday. So far, the Health Department said 3,173 people have recovered, that's also up by 96 from Friday.

There are 37 people currently hospitalized -- an increase of 4 people from Friday.

There was also one new death in Knox county, bringing that total to 49.

August 14

Active virus cases were reported Friday at 2,192, an increase of 17 from Thursday.

Also Friday, Knox County reported 5,317 total cases of COVID-19, up by 108. The number of recoveries continued to rise -- up 90 with 3,077 people total having recovered so far.

Current hospitalizations are at 33 as of Friday, a rise of 3 from Thursday.

The number of reported deaths of Knox County residents rose by 1 to 48.

August 13

Active virus cases continued their downward trend Thursday, decreasing 32 from Wednesday to 2,175.

Also Thursday, Knox County reported 5,209 total cases of COVID-19, up by 102. The number of recoveries continued to rise -- up 132 with 2,987 people total having recovered so far.

Current hospitalizations are at 30 as of Thursday, a bump up of four from Wednesday.

The number of reported deaths of Knox County residents rose by 2 to 47.

August 12

The number of active cases continued to decrease in Knox County, down by 54 from Tuesday to 2,207.

On Wednesday, the Knox County reported 5,107 total cases of COVID-19, up by 72. The number of recoveries continued to surge by 127 with 2,855 people total having recovered so far.

The Knox County Health Department updated its 14-day new cases benchmark from 'red' to 'yellow,' indicating improvement with a sustained reduction or stability in the number of new cases.

No new hospitalizations were reported, but the number of currently hospitalized patients increased by 3 to 26.

The number of deaths was corrected, down by one to 45.

August 11

The number of active cases in Knox County decreased by 29 Tuesday to 2,261.

The Knox County Health Dept. reported 5,035 cases of COVID-19, up by 88 from yesterday.

The number of reported recoveries was 2,728.

223 people have been hospitalized so far with 26 people currently hospitalized.

No new deaths were reported.

August 10

The Knox County Health Department reported 1 new death to COVID-19 Monday as total cases increased by 88 to 4,947 Monday.

Active cases increased by 57 from Sunday to 2,290, and deaths increased by 1 to 46. Recoveries increased to 2,611.

27 people are currently hospitalized. 

August 9

The Knox County Health Department has reported the number of confirmed cases in the county to be 4,868

Active cases increased to 2,261. Recoveries increased to 2,611.

The number of current hospitalizations fell to 26. 

August 8

The Knox County Health Department reported 4,859 total cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The number of active cases is 2,233, an increase of 50 from yesterday. Sunday is a relatively low day of reporting new COVID-19 cases in Knox County, according to WBIR's data team.

2,581 people have recovered. 

27 people are currently hospitalized and there is one new death being reported today, bringing the total to 45.

August 7

The number of current hospitalizations in Knox County drastically improved Friday, dropping to the lowest it has been since July 3.

The Knox County Health Department reported 4,642 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with 142 of those listed as probable. There are currently 2,182 active cases.

The total number of recoveries is up to 2,418, and recoveries have once again surpassed the number of active cases.

Currently, the number of hospitalizations was cut in half from 33 yesterday to 16 on Friday, with 211 total people have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic.

Credit: WBIR
14-day moving average of COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 7, 2020.

KCHD director Dr. Martha Buchanan said the numbers are definitely encouraging, but cautioned people absolutely must continue to follow the core actions of social distancing, wearing a mask and frequently washing their hands if this is to become a trend.

"This is not the time to go 'Whoo… we did it,'" she said, warning that numbers could rebound to levels worse than before should people relax and stop following guidelines. 

August 6

The Knox County Health Department reported 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total to 4,515 cases with 144 of those listed as probable. There are currently 2,166 active cases, down by 37 from yesterday.

Knox County reported 2 new deaths bringing the total to 42.

110 more people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries up to 2,307. 

Currently, the number of hospitalizations is 33, down by 2 since yesterday. 209 total people have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic, up by 7.

August 5

Knox County reported no new deaths for the first time in a week.

The Knox County Health Department reported 131 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,296. There are currently 2,203 active cases, up by 32 from yesterday.

111 more people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries up to 2,197. Currently, the number of hospitalizations remains unchanged at 35. 202 total people have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic, up by 5.

Knox County is reporting 144 probable cases.

Credit: WBIR
Active cases versus recovered cases in Knox County as of Aug. 5, 2020.

August 4

40 people have now died to COVID-19 in Knox County. This is the seventh day in the row at least one death has been reported due to the coronavirus, continuing the longest streak since the pandemic began.

However, the Knox County Health Department reported just 54 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 4,165. The number of active cases has dropped for the first time since July 12 on Monday down to 2,171 after Knox County saw a surge of recoveries.139 more people recovered Tuesday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,086.

Four more people are in the hospital currently compared to yesterday, bringing the number of current hospitalizations up to 35. 197 people total have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic.

Knox County is also reporting 132 probable cases. 

Credit: WBIR
Active cases versus recovered cases in Knox Co. as of Aug. 4, 2020.

August 3

One more person has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 39. It is the sixth day in a row that Knox Co. has reported at least one death due to COVID-19, the longest streak since the pandemic began.

The Knox County Health Department on Monday reported 114 new cases of COVID-19 to bring the total number of confirmed cases to 4,111. The number of active cases has grown to 2,256.

196 people have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic in the county, with 31 Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized. That's the lowest number of hospitalizations since July 7.

1,947 people have recovered.

August 2

Knox County reported three new deaths from COVID-19 Sunday. 38 people have died to COVID-19 in the county. 

There were 83 new cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 2,177. Nearly four thousand people have tested positive (3,997 confirmed cases). Current hospitalizations fell from 41 to 36. 195 people have been hospitalized in the county since the pandemic began.

August 1

KCHD reported 153 new cases of COVID-19 in Knox County, bringing the total to 3,914. 2,145 of those cases are active and 1,857 people have already recovered.

There have been two additional deaths, bringing the total to 35. Right now, 41 Knox Co. residents are hospitalized for COVID-19.

July 31

Two more people have died to COVID-19 in Knox County.

As of Friday, the Knox County Health Department reported 120 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the county up to 3,761. Active cases grew by 118 to a total of 2,085. 

33 people in Knox County have died as a result of COVID-19.

No new recoveries were reported Friday, keeping the total at 1,643. 40 people are currently hospitalized, and total number of people hospitalized since the start of the pandemic is up to 194. 

Knox County is also reporting 123 probable cases.

July 30

Knox County is reporting the most COVID-19 deaths in a single day after 4 more people died as a result of the virus.

The Knox County Health Department reported 108 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 3,641 in Knox County. Active cases remain at 1,967. 31 people total have died from COVID-19 complications.

Credit: WBIR
Total deaths in Knox County over time as of July 30.

104 more people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries up to 1,643.

There have been a reported total of 31 deaths. 

Right now, 39 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, up by one from Wednesday. 190 people total have been hospitalized so far.

 There are also 119 probable cases. 

Credit: WBIR
New Knox County COVID-19 cases over time as of July 30.

July 29

Another person has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in Knox County, bringing the total to 27.

KCHD reported an additional 161 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total case count to 3,533. There are currently 1,967 active cases and 148 probable cases. 

38 Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized and 1,539 people have already recovered.

July 28

KCHD reported 167 new cases of COVID-19 in Knox County, bringing the total to 3,372. 1,893 of those cases are active and 1,453 people have already recovered. There are also 145 probable cases.

There have not been any additional deaths. Right now, 37 Knox Co. residents are hospitalized for COVID-19.

July 27

Three additional deaths and 120 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Knox County.

There have been 3,205 confirmed cases since the pandemic began and 26 deaths. Currently, there are 1,847 active cases, an increase of 80 since Sunday. There are also 140 probable cases in the county.

Right now, 45 Knox Co. residents are hospitalized due to COVID-19.

July 26

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 131 new cases of COVID-19, totaling 3,085.

KCHD reports 115 new active cases totaling out to 1,767.

There has been no growth in number of current hospitalizations or deaths.

There are now 1,295 recovered cases.

July 25

There are now 23 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

The KCHD reported 115 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 2,954 and the number of active cases to 1,652 -- an increase of 81.

44 people are currently hospitalized.

There are also 137 reported probable cases.

July 24

There are now 22 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

The Knox County Health Department reported 137 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of cases up to 2,839 and the number of active cases up to 1,571 -- in increase of 46 from Thursday.

The number of current hospitalizations is 44, with four new hospitalizations reported to bring the total overall number since the start of the pandemic to 184.

1,246 people have recovered -- up by 90 from Thursday.

KCHD is also reporting 128 probable cases.

July 23

The Knox County Health Department reported another record spike in COVID-19 cases Thursday with a total of 2,702 infections and 133 more active cases -- bringing the total number of active cases in the county to 1,525.

No new deaths were reported Thursday and 1,156 people have recovered. The number of current hospitalizations jumped to 46, with 180 total hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

KCHD also reported 122 probable cases. 

July 22

There are now 21 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

The Knox County Health Department reported a total of 2,515 cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, with 58 more active cases -- bringing the total number of active cases to 1,392. 

Credit: WBIR
Active versus recovered cases in Knox Co. as of July 22.

1,102 people have recovered. 38 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 171 total hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. KCHD said 6.8% of all local cases of COVID-19 have resulted in hospitalization. 

117 probable cases are also reported.

Locally, people between the ages of 21 to 30 make up the majority of more than 30% of all cases. That age group has outpaced all others for new infections within the past month. 

However, on Wednesday older adults saw a significant growth in the number of new infections in a single day. Ages 51 to 60 added 19 new cases, and ages 71 to 80 added 10 new cases -- the largest jump since the beginning of July. 

Credit: WBIR
Breakdown of infections by age in Knox Co. as of July 22.

July 21

There are now 20 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

The Knox County Department of Health reported a total of 2,392 cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, with 25 more active cases -- bringing to total number of active cases up to 1,334.

1,038 people have recovered. 45 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 165 total hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

115 probable cases were reported.

July 20

There have now been 19 deaths due to COVID-19 in Knox County.

KCHD is reporting a total of 2,314 COVID-19 cases in the county. 1,311 of them are currently active, an increase of 90 since Sunday. There are also 113 probable cases.

44 Knox County residents are currently hospitalized because of COVID-19.

July 19 

Knox County reported 58 new cases of COVID-19 today, but no new deaths. 

The total number of cases in the county now stands at 2,221 with 1,221 active cases. 982 people have recovered and 41 are currently hospitalized. 

The number of COVID cases in the county has doubled since July began. 

July 18

Knox County reported one new death today due to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 18. 

The total number of active cases increased by 89 and recoveries increased by 20. The total number of confirmed cases in the county sits at 2,163, an increase of 110 cases since yesterday. 

The county also reports 88 probable cases.

July 17

The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 2,053, a record increase of 147 cases since Thursday. The number of active cases is now at 1,100, an increase of 134 from Thursday. There are also 86 probable cases in the county.

There are more active cases now than recovered cases. That number stands at 936.

There are currently 44 Knox Co. residents hospitalized for COVID-19.

July 16

Knox County is reporting 92 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 1,906 and active cases up to 966.

The county is reporting two more deaths since Wednesday, as 17 people have now died to COVID-19. The number of hospitalizations rose to 47, with 150 total hospitalizations.

There have been 923 recoveries.

The county is also reporting 82 probable COVID-19 cases. 

July 15

KCHD reports there are now 1,814 cases of COVID-19 in Knox County, with 906 of them currently active.  

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the number of active cases is greater than the number of recovered cases in Knox County. The current number of people who have already recovered is 893 cases.

Credit: WBIR
On July 15, the number of active COVID-19 cases surpassed the total number of recoveries in Knox County.

RELATED: Majority of the 15 coronavirus-related deaths in Knox Co. are from high-risk group

There are currently 45 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, with a total of 141 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. 

15 people have died to COVID-19 in Knox County. The latest victims were a 94-year-old man and a 56-year-old man.

July 14

The Knox County Health Department is reporting one additional death and more than 100 new active cases of COVID-19 after a record-high number of new cases were reported Tuesday.

There are 118 new cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 1,746 and the total number of active cases up to 839. Of the total cases, 893 have recovered.

There are currently 40 people in Knox County hospitalized, with a total of 137 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. 

14 people have died to COVID-19 in the county.

July 13

KCHD reported three additional deaths related to COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total to 13. Officials said a 45-year-old man, a 54-year-old woman, and an 88-year-old woman had died of complications related to COVID-19.

There are currently 736 active cases, an increase of 22 since Sunday. The total confirmed cases in Knox Co. is now 1,628 with 63 probable cases.

There are currently 41 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, with a total hospitalization number of 130 since the pandemic began.

July 12

KCHD reported there were 1,586 total cases on Sunday, an increase of 19 cases since yesterday. Of those cases, 714 are currently active, a decrease of 17 cases.

862 people have already recovered from COVID-19. There are 40 Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized and there have been 10 deaths.

July 11

Knox County now has 731 active cases of COVID-19, an increase of 23 since Friday, according to the Knox Co. Health Dept. That brings the total case count to 1,567, an increase of 41 cases.

There are currently 38 Knox Co. residents hospitalized. 826 people have recovered. Knox Co. confirmed 10 deaths due to COVID-19.

July 10

KCHD reported 708 active cases of COVID-19, an increase of 41 since Thursday. Overall, there have been 1,526 cases in Knox County and 10 deaths. There are currently 43 probable cases.

808 people have recovered.

The health department said in its briefing on Friday that there was an issue with retrieving the data about the number of Knox Co. residents who are hospitalized, so they are not reporting those numbers today.

Charity Menefee with KCHD did report that there were 84 people hospitalized in the Knox County region, which includes 19 hospitals in 16 counties. She did not provide any additional information.

July 9

There are now 667 active cases of COVID-19 in Knox County, an increase of 51 since Wednesday. There have been 1,485 total cases of COVID-19 in the county. There are 36 probable cases.

There are currently 34 Knox Co. residents hospitalized and no additional deaths have been reported.

RELATED: 'We are not overrun with COVID-19' | East Tennessee hospitals are filling up, but say they have room to spare

July 8

Knox County now has 616 active cases of COVID-19, an increase of 54 since Tuesday, according to the Knox Co. Health Dept. That brings the total case count to 1,420. There are currently 30 probable cases in Knox Co.

Knox Co. is also reporting an additional death on Wednesday, bringing the total to ten. KCHD said an 81-year-old man died after contracting COVID-19.

There are currently 34 Knox Co. residents hospitalized, a big jump from 19 yesterday, and 794 people have recovered.

July 7

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Knox Co. continues to grow. KCHD reported there were 1366 total cases on Tuesday, an increase of 70 since yesterday. Of those cases, 563 are currently active, an increase of 68. There are also 30 probable cases in the county.

794 people have already covered from COVID-19. There are 19 Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized and there have been 9 deaths.

RELATED: 'Why is it taking so long?' | East Tennesseans wait for COVID-19 results as laboratories see influx of testing

RELATED: 'It is disheartening' | KCHD says masks are community safety measure, not political issue

July 6

The Knox Co. Health Dept. reported another big jump in COVID-19 cases on Monday. There are now 495 active cases, bringing the total case count to 1296. So far, 792 people have recovered.

Another death has also been reported in Knox Co., bringing the total of fatalities to 9. There are currently 20 Knox Co. residents hospitalized for COVID-19.

There are 30 probable cases in the county.

RELATED: By the numbers | How COVID-19 is spreading in East Tennessee

July 5

The Knox County Health Department reported two new deaths Sunday from COVID-19, bringing the total to eight deaths in the county.

As of Sunday, there were currently 425 active cases in the county, down by 37. The number of total COVID-19 cases grew to 1,203, up by 17. Of those, 770 people have recovered. 

20 people are currently hospitalized, which is up by 3. 

90 people have been hospitalized in the county from COVID-19 since March. 

The number of probable cases grew to 31.

July 4

The Knox County Health Department reported the highest growth in new and active COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

As of Saturday, there were currently 462 active cases in the county, up by 98. The number of total COVID-19 cases grew to 1,186, up by 93. Of those, 718 people have recovered -- which is down by 5 from yesterday, which led to active cases being higher than the number of new cases Saturday. It is unclear why the number of total recoveries dropped from the previous day. 

17 people are currently hospitalized, up by 3. 

89 people have been hospitalized in the county from COVID-19 since March. No new deaths were reported. 

The number of probable cases grew to 30.

July 3

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 364 active cases of COVID-19 Friday, up by 41 from yesterday.

46 new cases of COVID-19 were discovered in the county, bringing the total number of cases up to 1,093. Of those, 723 people have recovered -- up by 5 from yesterday.

14 people are currently hospitalized, down by 4 for Thursday. 86 people total have been hospitalized in the county since the start of the pandemic.

No new deaths were reported Friday, keeping the total at 6.

There are 28 probable cases being reported, as well.

July 2

The Knox County Health Department is reporting a significant growth in cases Thursday with the first new COVID-19 death since late April.

KCHD reports there are 323 active cases, up by 52 since Wednesday. There are 70 new COVID-19 cases -- bringing to total in the county since the start to 1,047. 

6 deaths are now reported. Of those deaths, four were people above the age of 75 and two were people between the ages of 45 to 64. The number of recoveries is up to 718 -- up by 17 since yesterday.

18 people from Knox County are hospitalized, up by 5 since yesterday. 

Credit: WBIR
Active cases in Knox County as of July 1

Since the start of the pandemic, 83 people have been hospitalized. The Tennessee Health Department said Wednesday the large number of new cases recently across the state cannot be attributed just to a rise in testing -- urging people to wear a mask, keep 6 feet of distance, and to wash their hands often.

Credit: KCHD
Breakdown of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Knox County as of July 1.

As of the week of June 21 to 27, the number of total tests conducted in Knox County was reported to be 1,655 -- down from 2,225 in the previous week. However, KCHD said the true level of testing is likely much higher -- but are being reported at lower levels currently because of weeks of delays with the NBS system reporting negative test results.

July 1

After a small dip yesterday, Knox County reported a new record high number of active COVID-19 cases and the second highest daily increase.

The Knox County Health Department reported 271 active cases of COVID-19, up by 37 from yesterday. The number of new cases increased by 50 bringing the total to 977. Recoveries increased by 13 people, bringing the total number of recoveries to 701. No new deaths have been reported in nearly two months.

There are 13 people in the county currently hospitalized.

29 cases are listed as probable.

Recently, county health leaders said they have seen a notable increase in the number of people wanting to be tested.

June 30

The Knox County Health Department reported 234 active cases of COVID-19, down by 31 from yesterday. The number of new cases increased by 15 to 927. Recoveries increased by 46 people, bringing the total number of recoveries to 688. No new deaths have been reported in nearly two months.

There are 14 people in the county currently hospitalized.

29 cases are listed as probable.

June 29

COVID-19 cases in Knox County continue to grow. On Monday, the Knox Co. Health Dept. reported 265 active cases, an increase of 42 since yesterday. The total case count for Knox County is now 912. 642 people are already listed as recovered from the virus.

There are 15 Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized and five people have died.

Knox Co. is also listing 29 probable cases.

June 28

The Knox County Health Department is reporting 16 new COVID-19 cases making its new total 859. 631 people have recovered, and there are 223 active cases currently.

15 people are hospitalized.

June 27

The number of active cases grew to 211, a new high for a third day in a row. Right now Knox County is reporting a total of 843 cases of COVID-19. 627 people have recovered.

Currently 18 people are hospitalized, six more than Friday.

No new deaths have been reported, which remains at 5. There are 28 probable cases in the county.

June 26

The number of active cases rose to a new high for a second day in a row since the pandemic began to 197 in Knox County Friday after the health department reported 34 new cases of COVID-19. 

There have been 807 total cases of COVID-19 and 605 recoveries. Hospitalizations also continued to grow to 12 -- three more people since Thursday.

No new deaths have been reported, which remains at 5. There are 27 probable cases in the county.

The number of new tests being conducted has actually fallen in the county in past weeks despite the increased number of new positive cases. That has prompted the Knox County Health Department to issue another "red light" in its reopening benchmarks. 

Since the weekly high of 3,009 tests conducted during the week of May 17-23, the number of tests being performed in the county has steadily fallen. From June 14-20 -- the number of tests had dropped by nearly half to 1,658. However, KCHD said there may be some negative tests still unrecorded last week due to delays with the reporting system. KCHD also reported Wednesday was the first day they've ever had to cut off the line for testing. 

KCHD said hospital capacity remains satisfactory locally. Across the region, 28 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized. 15 are in the ICU and 6 are on ventilators. Currently, nearly 86% of all ICU beds and 76% of all hospital beds are being utilized in East Tennessee. KCHD said 32% of the 242 ventilators are in use.  

June 25

Knox County reported on Thursday the highest daily total of new and active cases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second day in a row Knox County has reported a record number of new cases.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Knox County jumped from 136 to 172 on Thursday. 39 more people tested positive, with a total of 773 total confirmed cases so far. Three more people recovered, bringing the total number of recovered up to 596.

The health department also reported 25 probable cases.

There are 9 Knox County residents hospitalized due to COVID-19 -- the most since the outbreak began in March. 5 people have died.

The Knox County Health Department said Wednesday was the first day it has ever had to cut off the line for testing. Everyone who was in line by 2 p.m. was tested, but the rest were turned away. KCHD believes the increase in the number of people wanting to be tested is due to the increase in cases recently seen. 

"As cases increase, the number of close contacts increases. This is especially true as our community continues to reopen. Back in the beginning of the pandemic, people weren’t leaving their homes except for essential errands. Because of that, their close contacts were only a couple of people. Now, that people are going to more places and participating in group activities, we are seeing the number of close contacts increase," Deborah Crouse with KCHD said.

When asked if any of the cases were related to recent protests in Knoxville, Crouse said KCHD was not aware of any protest-related cases yet. 

KCHD said it is not seeing any challenges in obtaining testing supplies. 

Credit: WBIR Staff

June 24

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Knox County has dropped to 136 on Wednesday. There have been 734 total confirmed cases so far, with 593 people already recovered.

Knox County also has 24 probable cases.

There are currently eight Knox Co. residents hospitalized and five people have died.

June 23

There are currently 161 active COVID-19 cases in Knox County, a jump of 26 from yesterday, after the county recorded 36 new positive cases Tuesday -- the single-highest daily increase of new cases in the county since the start of the pandemic. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 716. 10 more people recovered, bringing to total recoveries to 550 people.

Credit: WBIR
Daily new COVID-19 cases as of June 23.

Knox County also has 25 probable cases. That means that they have been in contact with a confirmed case and are exhibiting symptoms. It's up to those people if they want to take a test or not.

There are currently three Knox Co. residents hospitalized and five people have died.

June 22

Knox Co. is reporting 680 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 135 currently active. 540 people have recovered from the virus. There are currently 26 probable cases in the county.

There are four Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized for the virus and five total deaths. 

June 21

There are currently 656 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Knox County with 114 of those cases being active. As of Sunday morning, there have been 537 recoveries. 

June 20

As of Saturday morning, there are 115 active COVID-19 cases in Knox County. There have been 641 confirmed cases so far, with 521 recoveries. 

June 19

As of Friday morning, the positive virus case count has reached 632, and 521 of those cases have recovered.

Active cases are at 106, a bump up of 17 since Thursday.

Knox County also has 26 probable cases.

Two residents are in the hospital. Five people have died since the March onset.

June 18

There are currently 89 active COVID-19 cases in Knox County. There have been 611 total confirmed cases so far, with 517 people already recovered.

Knox County also has 26 probable cases.

There are currently four Knox Co. residents hospitalized and five people have died.

June 17

The number of total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Knox County has risen to 596, an increase of six from Tuesday. There are 104 active cases and 21 probable cases. So far, 487 people have recovered from the virus.

There are currently six Knox Co. residents hospitalized and five people have died.

June 16

There are currently 102 active COVID-19 cases in Knox County. There have been 590 total confirmed cases so far, with 483 people already recovered.

Knox County also has 20 probable cases.

There are currently four Knox Co. residents hospitalized and five people have died.

June 15

Knox Co. has 94 active cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 573, though 474 people have already recovered.

There are four people currently hospitalized and there have been five deaths.

The health department is currently investigating 20 probable cases.

RELATED: Tennessee changed how it's reporting COVID-19 data. Here's what you need to know.

June 14

Knox County is reporting 11 new total COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 568. There are currently 105 active cases and 458 people have already recovered.

There are eight Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized because of coronavirus and there have been five total deaths.

June 13

On Saturday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 557, an increase of 10 from the day before. The number of active cases is now at 118. 

Eight Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. 434 people have already recovered. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 12

On Friday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 547, an increase of 22 from the day before. The number of active cases is now at 111. 

Four Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. 431 people have already recovered. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 11

Knox Co. has 120 active cases of COVID-19, the most since the pandemic began. That brings the total number of cases to 525, though 400 people have already recovered.

There are four people currently hospitalized and there have been five deaths.

The health department is currently investigating 12 probable cases.

June 10

Sixteen additional COVID-19 cases are being reported in Knox County, bringing the total case count to 519. There are currently 114 active cases with six Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized.

There have been five total deaths.

June 9

Knox County is reporting nine new total COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 503. There are currently 98 active cases and 400 people have already recovered.

There are two Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized because of coronavirus and there have been five total deaths. Right now, there are 10 probable cases being investigated by the health department.

June 8

On Monday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 494, an increase of 17 from Sunday. The number of active cases is now at 96. 

Three Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized. 393 people have already recovered. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 7

As of Sunday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen by 13 since Saturday to 477. The number of active cases is now at 95. 

Two people are currently hospitalized. 377 people total have recovered. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 6

As of Saturday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen by four since Friday to 464. The number of active cases is now at 89. 

Two people are currently hospitalized. 370 people total have recovered. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 5

The number of active COVID-19 cases has dropped noticeably Friday as the Knox County Health Department reported 8 new COVID-19 cases and nearly 30 new recoveries.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the county is now 460, and 363 people have recovered. This has brought the number of active cases down to 92, which formerly stood at 112 yesterday.

One person is currently hospitalized with no new hospitalizations or deaths. 

While most of the county's reopening benchmarks remain in the 'green,' the 14-day reduction/stability benchmark for new cases remains in the 'red' due to multiple daily spikes in new cases reported in the past 7 days. 

June 4

As of Thursday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen by 11 since Wednesday to 452. The number of active cases continues to rise and is now at 112, with one more hospitalization and no new recoveries.

Two people are currently hospitalized. 335 people total have recovered and 44 total have been hospitalized in the county. The number of deaths in the county remains at 5.

June 3

As of Wednesday, Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases is now at 441 cases, up eight from Tuesday. The number of active cases in now 101, with 335 recoveries and 43 hospitalizations. 

One person is currently hospitalized.

June 2

Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases rose again by 23 to 433 Tuesday. The number of active cases in now 93, with 335 recoveries and 43 hospitalizations. 

One person is currently hospitalized.

June 1

Knox County's total number of COVID-19 cases rose to 410 Monday, compared to 403 cases Sunday. The number of active cases rose by 6 from yesterday to 70. 335 people, nearly 82% of all cases, have recovered. 

Two patients were released from the hospital, and there are currently no hospitalized patients or new deaths. 

May 31

Knox Co.'s total COVID-19 case number has risen from 391 cases Saturday to 403 cases Sunday. There are now 64 active cases and 334 people have recovered.

Almost 82 % of known local cases are now recovered.

Two Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized and there are 10 probable cases.

May 30

Knox Co.'s total COVID-19 case number has risen from 375 cases Friday to 391 cases Saturday. There are 58 active cases and 328 people have recovered.

That means almost 84% of known local cases are recovered.

Three Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized and there are still 11 probable cases -- the same as Friday.

May 29

Knox Co. has reported eight additional COVID-19 cases since yesterday, bringing the total to 375. There are 49 active cases and 321 people have recovered.

Three Knox Co. residents are currently hospitalized and there are 11 probable cases.

May 28

After three days of small but steady increase in COVID-19 numbers, Knox Co. has reported only one new additional case on Thursday, bringing the total case count to 367. There are 47 active cases, one less than yesterday.

There are two Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized and there have been five total deaths during the pandemic.

There are currently ten probable cases.

May 27

As of Wednesday, Knox County's positive cases have risen to 366 total with 48 active cases. The county has seen a small but steady increase this week that is likely due to the county easing restrictions earlier this month.

Figures show 313 people have recovered. 

RELATED: Increase in positive Knox County virus cases draws Health Department's scrutiny

Two Knox County residents are currently hospitalized.  

KCHD says there are ten probable cases.

May 26

As of Tuesday, Knox County is reporting a 352 of positive cases since the pandemic began, an increase of ten since yesterday. There are currently 34 active cases with 313 people recovered so far.

There have been a total of 40 Knox Co. residents hospitalized with two of them currently in the hospital.

There are 10 probable cases. There have been five deaths.

May 25

As of Monday, Knox County positive cases have risen to 342. That's an increase of six since Sunday, according to the Health Department.

New figures show 310 people have recovered. That represents 90.64% of the county's total cases. There are 27 active cases.

One person is hospitalized -- the same number as Sunday.

There are 10 probable cases. There have been five deaths.

May 24

As of Sunday, Knox County positive cases have risen to 336. That's an increase of five since Saturday, according to the Health Department.

New figures show 303 people have recovered. That's 90.18% of the county's total cases. There are 28 active cases.

One person is hospitalized with the virus. 

KCHD says there are five probable cases.

May 23

As of Saturday, Knox County positive cases have risen to 331. That's an increase of four since Friday, according to the Health Department.

New figures show 303 people have recovered. That's 91.54% of the county's total cases. There are 23 active cases.

One person is hospitalized with the virus. 

KCHD says there are six probable cases.

May 22

As of Friday, Knox County positive cases have risen to 327. That's an increase of four since Thursday, according to the Health Department.

New figures show 295 people have recovered. That's 90.21% of the county's total cases. There are 27 active cases.

Two people are hospitalized with the virus -- that's the same number as Thursday.

KCHD says there are six probable cases.

May 21

As of Thursday, Knox County positive cases have risen to 323.  That's an increase of one since Wednesday, according to the Health Department.

New figures show 283 people have recovered -- one more than Wednesday. There are 35 active cases.

Two people are hospitalized with the virus -- that's the same number as Wednesday.

KCHD says there are five probable cases.

May 20

As of Wednesday, Knox County said there have been 322 total positive cases of COVID-19 in the county with 35 currently active. There are two Knox Co. residents currently hospitalized for COVID-19.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated there were no new cases in Knox County due to a computer error. We regret reporting the inaccurate information. 

May 19

Both the county's total number of coronavirus cases and its active number of coronavirus cases increased slightly since yesterday.

As of Tuesday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 316 total positive cases of COVID-19 in the county. That's 5 more than Monday. The county's latest count of recovered cases also increased from 261 to 264.

That means 83.54% of the county's known COVID-19 cases are recovered.

The county announced no current hospitalizations and no new deaths. 

The number of active cases increased from 45 to 47. This is the first time in several days that the county's active cases increased. 

May 18

As of Monday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 311  positive cases of COVID-19 in the county. That's three more than Sunday. The county's latest count of recovered cases also increased from 257 to 261.

That means almost 84% of the county's known COVID-19 cases are recovered.

The county announced no current hospitalizations and no new deaths. 

While the number of total cases increased slightly since Sunday, the number of active cases decreased from 46 to 45.

May 17

As of Sunday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 308  positive cases of COVID-19. That's two more than Saturday. The county's latest count of recovered cases also increased from 246 to 257. 

The county announced no current hospitalizations and no new deaths. 

While the number of total cases increased slightly since Saturday, the number of active cases decreased from 55 to 46.

May 16

As of Saturday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 306  positive cases of COVID-19. That's one more than Friday, after the cases held steady between Thursday and Friday. The county's latest count of recovered cases also increased from 233 to 246. 

Two numbers did hold steady from Friday. The county announced no current hospitalizations and no new deaths. 

While the number of total cases increased slightly since Friday, the number of active cases decreased from 67 to 55.

May 15

As of Friday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 305 positive cases of COVID-19. That's the same as Thursday. The county also is showing no change in its latest posting for recoveries -- still 233.

The big change for Friday is there are no Knox County residents now in the hospital being treated for COVID-19. On Thursday, one resident was in the hospital in connection with the virus. There remain 67 active cases.

May 14

As of Thursday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 305 positive cases of COVID-19, two less than yesterday. KCHD said that upon further investigation into those patients, it was determined that they were not residents of Knox County, and that is a common practice.

There are 67 cases currently active and so far, 233 people have recovered.

May 13

As of Wednesday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 307 positive cases of COVID-19, with 69 cases currently active. So far, 233 people have recovered and five people have died.

May 12

As of Tuesday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 301 positive cases of COVID-19, with 66 cases currently active. So far, 230 people have recovered and five people have died.

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May 11

As of Monday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 295 positive cases of COVID-19, with 64 cases currently active. So far, 226 people have recovered and five people have died.

The increase in cases was from targeted testing last week in areas identified as clusters. They specifically tested people who had come in contact with someone with COVID-19.

May 10

As of Sunday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 280 positive cases of COVID-19, with 49 cases currently active. So far, 226 people have recovered and five people have died.

May 9

As of Saturday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been
278 positive cases of COVID-19 in the county. That's six more positive cases than the department reported Friday. Only 47 cases are currently active. 

KCHD said 226 people have recovered in the county and five people have died. 

Three people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. 

May 8

As of Friday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 272 positive cases of COVID-19, but only 55 cases are currently active. So far, 212 people have recovered and five people have died.

There are three people currently hospitalized.

May 7

As of Thursday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 269 positive cases of COVID-19, but only 52 cases are currently active. So far, 212 people have recovered and five people have died.

There are three people currently hospitalized.

May 6

As of Wednesday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 257 positive cases of COVID-19, and 43 cases are currently active. Five people have died; 209 people have recovered, and three people are hospitalized.

May 5

As of Tuesday, the Knox County Health Department said there have been 252 positive cases of COVID-19, but only 38 cases are currently active. 209 people have recovered and five people have died.

May 4

As of Monday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 246 positive cases of COVID-19, down two from the day before. That's because two of those cases that were reported by the state turned out to not be from Knox County, so they were removed from Knox County's total case count.

The number of recoveries is up to 209. Right now, there are 32 active cases in the county.

May 3

As of Sunday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 248 positive cases of COVID-19, with the number of recoveries up to 205. Right now, there are 38 active cases in the county.

May 2

As of Saturday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 239 positive cases of COVID-19, with the number of recoveries remaining at 199. Right now, there are 35 active cases in the county.

May 1

As of Friday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 238 positive cases of COVID-19, with recoveries remaining at 199 and active cases up to 34.

April 30

As of Thursday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 232 positive cases of COVID-19, with 199 recoveries and 28 active cases.

April 29

As of Wednesday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 224 positive cases of COVID-19, with 197 recoveries and 22 active cases.

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April 28

As of Tuesday, the Knox County Health Department said there are 221 positive cases of COVID-19, with 195 recoveries and only 21 active cases.

Knox County has reported an additional death from COVID-19, an 87-year-old man. That brings the total number of deaths in Knox County to five. It's the first reported death since April 8.

RELATED: Five people who've died of coronavirus in Knox Co. were all in a high-risk group

There have been 34 hospitalizations so far. Currently, there are 3 hospitalizations.

April 27

As of Monday, the Knox County Health Department said there are still 214 positive cases of COVID-19, with 181 recoveries and 29 active cases.

There have been 33 hospitalizations so far. Currently, there are 6 hospitalizations.

This is the first day Knox County has reported 0 new cases since March 21.

Credit: WBIR
This is the first day Knox County reported 0 new cases since March 21.

April 26

As of Sunday, the Knox County Health Department said there are now 214  positive cases of COVID-19, with 180 recoveries and 30 active cases.

There have been 31 hospitalizations so far. Currently, there are 6 hospitalizations.

April 25

As of Saturday, the Knox County Health Department said there are now 209 positive cases of COVID-19, with 180 recoveries and 25 active cases.

There have been 31 hospitalizations so far.

April 24

As of Friday, the Knox County Health Department said there are now 207 positive cases of COVID-19, with 179 recoveries and 24 active cases.

There have been 31 hospitalizations so far.

April 23

As of Thursday, Knox County is reporting 206 positive cases of COVID-19, with 173 recoveries and the number of active cases is 29.

There have been 31 people hospitalized at some point during their illness. 

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April 22

As of Wednesday, Knox County is reporting 199 positive cases of COVID-19, with 166 recoveries and the number of active cases up to 29.

April 21

As of Tuesday, Knox County is reporting 196 positive cases of COVID-19, with 165 recoveries and the number of active cases down to 27. 

April 20

As of Monday, Knox County is reporting 193 positive cases of COVID-19, with 161 recoveries and 28 active cases.

April 19

As of Sunday, Knox County is reporting 192 positive cases so far, with 156 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 32.

April 18

As of Saturday, Knox County is reporting 191 positive cases so far, with 151 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 36.

April 17

As of Friday, Knox County is reporting 189 positive cases so far, with 144 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 41. Twenty-two people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

April 16

As of Thursday, Knox County is reporting 186 positive cases so far, with 144 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 38. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

No additional deaths have been reported.

April 15

As of Wednesday, Knox County is reporting 172 positive cases so far, with 136 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 32. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

April 14

As of Tuesday, Knox County is reporting 170 positive cases so far, with 131 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 35. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

No additional deaths have been reported.

April 13

As of Monday, Knox County is reporting 166 positive cases so far, with 126 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is now 36. Twenty people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

Four deaths have been reported.

Credit: KCHD

April 12

As of Sunday, Knox County is reporting 159 positive cases so far, with 127 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is down to 28.

April 11

As of Saturday, Knox County is reporting 155 positive cases so far, with 123 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is down to 28.

April 10

As of Friday, Knox County is reporting 154 positive cases so far, with 115 people listed as having recovered. The number of active cases is down to 35.

Of the cases, 18 were hospitalized. There have been 3150 total COVID-19 tests conducted in the county.

April 9

As of Thursday, April 9, Knox County is reporting 152 positive cases so far, with 106 people listed as having recovered. Of the cases, 19 were hospitalized at some point during their illness. The county is now reporting 4 deaths related to COVID-19. There have been 2,219 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

Dr. Martha Buchanan, Director of the Knox Co. Health Dept., said in her daily briefing on Thursday that there had been an additional COVID-19 death in Knox County, but that person's residency has not been confirmed. 

"People are still traveling," Buchanan said. "Someone might get tested here but not live here."

Buchanan said until the investigation into that person's residency is concluded, KCHD will not count that death in Knox County's totals, though the state may include that in Knox County's count.

Buchanan said they will have more information on that death on Friday.

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Credit: KCHD

April 8

As of Wednesday, April 8, Knox County is reporting 146 positive cases so far, with 77 people listed as having recovered. Of the cases, 19 were hospitalized at some point during their illness. The county is now reporting 4 deaths related to COVID-19. There have been 2,213 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

The fourth person to die was identified as an 84-year-old man during KCHD's daily update briefing.

April 7

As of Tuesday, April 7, Knox County is reporting 126 positive cases so far, with 74 people listed as having recovered and 16 were hospitalized at some point during their illness. The county is now reporting 3 deaths related to COVID-19. There have been 2,193 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

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April 6

As of Monday, April 6, Knox County is reporting 119 positive cases so far, with 70 people listed as having recovered and 16 were hospitalized at some point during their illness. There have been 1,409 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

April 5

As of Sunday, April 5, Knox County is reporting 110 positive cases so far, with 60 people listed as having recovered and 16 hospitalizations.

April 4

As of Saturday, April 4, Knox County is reporting 97 positive cases so far, with 58 people listed as having recovered and 15 hospitalizations.

April 3

As of Friday, April 3, Knox County is reporting 93 positive cases so far, with 50 people listed as having recovered and 14 hospitalizations. There have been 1,363 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County with drive-thru testing scheduled on Friday and Saturday.

Of those diagnosed, 48 are men and 45 are women, with 20 people in their 20s and 16 people in their 50s listed as patients. Twenty-one are listed between the ages of 31 and 50. Thirteen are in their 60s.

April 2

As of Thursday, April 2, Knox County is reporting 85 positive cases so far, with 42 people listed as having recovered and 13 hospitalizations. There have been 1,115 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

Of those diagnosed, 42 are men and 39 are women, with 17 people in their 20s and 15 people in their 50s listed as patients. Seventeen are listed between the ages of 31 and 50. Ten are in their 60s. There are four cases in children 10 and under.

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Still only one death has been reported.

April 1

As of Wednesday, April 1, Knox County is reporting 77 positive cases so far, with 28 people listed as having recovered and 12 hospitalizations. There have been 1090 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

Of those diagnosed, 39 are men and 38 are women have been diagnosed, with 17 people in their 20s and 14 people in their 50s listed as patients. Sixteen are listed between the ages of 31 and 50.

The Knox County Health Department said 4 people at an assisted living facility in the county tested positive, which included three residents and one staff member. Three tests for staff are still pending, however they said they tested everyone else at the facility and they tested negative. KCHD said they are not naming the facility, but said it is not unlike a similar outbreak at an assisted living facility in Middle Tennessee.

KCHD also announced it will be offering drive-thru testing through Kroger and other partners for people who meet clinical qualifications. The testing will happen on Friday and Saturday, and people will need to be approved through Kroger to be tested. KCHD said it will be appointment-based and they will release more details later Wednesday on how people can register and get approved.

March 31

As of Tuesday, March 31, Knox County is reporting 63 positive cases so far, with 24 people listed as having recovered and 11 hospitalizations. There have been 931 coronavirus tests conducted in Knox County.

33 men and 30 women have been diagnosed, with 12 people in their 20s and 13 people in their 50s listed as patients.

March 30

As of Monday, March 30, Knox County is reporting 57 positive cases so far, with 17 people listed as having recovered and 8 hospitalizations. The county said that was still out of 600 COVID-19 tests taken. Knox Co. also confirmed its first death from coronavirus on Monday.

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March 29

As of Sunday, March 29, Knox County is reporting 41 positive cases so far. The county stayed steady with 14 listed as recovered and 6 hospitalizations. The county says 600 COVID-19 tests have been taken. 

March 28

As of Saturday, March 28, Knox County is reporting 33 positive cases so far, with 14 listed as recovered. There have been 6 hospitalizations and 542 number of tests taken.

Sixteen men and 17 women have tested positive.

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March 27

As of Friday, March 27, Knox County is reporting 30 positive cases so far, with 11 listed as recovered, meaning they have been released from isolation.

Sixteen women and 14 men have tested positive.

Three children under 10 have been diagnosed, and there are three between the ages of 11 and 20. Four people in their twenties and six in their thirties have been diagnosed. Between the ages of 41-50, there are three cases and for cases between the ages of 51 and 60. There are four cases of people in their sixties and two in their seventies. There's one case of someone older than 91.

There have been 542 coronavirus tests administered in Knox County.

Six people have been hospitalized in Knox County.

March 26

As of Thursday, March 26, Knox County is reporting 28 positive cases so far, with six of those are listed as recovered, meaning they have been released from isolation.

Five people are currently hospitalized.

Fifteen of the confirmed cases are male and 13 are female, with the majority of cases between the ages of 21-40 with 11.

There have been 409 coronavirus tests completed in Knox County.

During a press conference on Thursday, the department also specified that it would take steps in case people who are homeless test positive for COVID-19. Officials said it has experience finding housing for people who are put in isolation without a home to stay in.

They also said that they will not release more information on positive cases than they already are, to protect individuals' privacy. The health department said it reaches out to those who may have been in contact with people who test positive for COVID-19, so it does not see a need to release information such as the patient's location or travel.

March 25

As of Wednesday, March 25, Knox County is reporting 20 positive cases so far, but six of those are listed as recovered, meaning they have been released from isolation.

Recovery time is usually 5-6 days.

Four people are currently hospitalized due to the coronavirus, according to the KCHD.

Knox County has conducted 341 tests for coronavirus.

Seven males and 13 women have tested positive for coronavirus in Knox County, with 11 between the ages of 18-49. There are three reported cases in children under 3, two for people between 50-64 and four who are 65 and over.

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