NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) -- Tennessee's initial efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak got off to a rocky start, but 13 weeks into the U.S. outbreak the state is faring better than most of its Southern neighbors.
Officials reported a total of 148 COVID-19 related deaths statewide Sunday. Only South Carolina and Arkansas have seen fewer virus related fatalities.
Georgia has suffered by far the largest number of deaths with 689 fatalities. Virginia is a distant second with 277 dead.
Tennessee is also faring better than any state with a similar population. Massachusets has suffered 11 times the number of COVID-19 deaths Tennessee has reported. Arizona, Indiana and Mossouri have also seen more coronavirus related fatalities.
Within Tennessee, Metro Memphis now leads Nashville in the total number of fatalities with 35 dead. Sumner County has suffered 30 deaths, nearly two-third of those fatalties in just one nursing home. Nashville has seen 20 residents die due to COVID-19 complications.
