Rural Covid-19 surge

Health officials warn of a rise of Covid-19 cases in rural areas.

Surrounding the chattanooga area are seeing record numbers of coronavirus infecthttp: the topic was discussed during hamilton county's recent coronavirus task force meeting.

News 12's kenan scott gives us the latest on how local hospitals have been dealing with the sudden surge in patients.

As new coronavirus cases surge across the country, many rural communities - places that were largely spared during the early months of the pandemic - are now seeing an unprecedented spike in infections and hospitalizations.

The pandemic's grip on rural communities is particularly alarming due to their reliance on small hospitals, which have been seen as ill-equipped to handle a surge of patients.

The climb in new infections started around early september, reaching what are now record levels in southeast tennessee communities.

On thursday, the hamilton county health department reported 78 hospitalizations - with only 19 coming coming from hamilton county residents.

When discussing the possibility of putting a hold on elective surgeries during the most recent coronavirus task force meeting, executive director of hamilton county medical society rae bond says that the county hopes that hospitals will stay open due to health concerns.

"we want the hospitals to be able to continue to stay open for elective surgeries and procedures.

Because there are health risks if we have to close down because the hospitals are overwhelmed with covid.

And as we enter flu season it's even more important to do all of these things."

Memorial hospital released a statement, saying, "chi memorial has its surge plan in place and is well-prepared to manage the daily change in our overall patient population while keeping our patients and staff safe.

We urge our local and surrounding communities to mask up, stay six feet away from others, and wash hands frequently.

Together, we can stem the spread of this illness."

As cases climb, mayor andy berke has also put out new calls for a statewide mask mandate.

Reporting in chattanooga, kenan scott news 12 now.