NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) — Key COVID-19 metrics for Tennessee all headed higher as 2021 drew to a close and the New Year began.
The number of new infections reported in December jumped a whopping 230 percent. Some 36,000 new cases were reported in November, More than 120,000 cases were reported last month.
The number of Tennesseans hospitalized due to virus complications has tripled since mid-November. As of Tuesday morning there were just under 2,000 state residents being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals statewide. That number includes 61 children.
COVID-19 deaths soared statewide at year's end with a new all-time record reported for the month of December.
State health officials recorded 3,687 virus related fatalities last month. That’s 34 percent higher than the previous record marked in January.
Just under 14,000 Tennesseans perished in 2021 due to virus related complications. That number is more than double the fatalities recorded in 2020.
The state is on track to surpass a pandemic total of 21,000 deaths by week’s end. Data shows the majority of fatalities are occurring among those who are not vaccinated.