MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. — Mayor John Gentry placed McMinn Count under a State of Emergency Friday after officials announced the county's first confirmed case of COVID-19, according to a press release.
Officials said that the patient is currently resting at home, under quarantine, and that officials were monitoring them. According to a press release from Gentry, the Tennessee Department of Health was working to check if the patient was in close contact with other people.
Meanwhile, Gentry placed the county in a State of Emergency. The move gives the county more flexibility to combat the spread of coronavirus. New restrictions were also put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19:
- The courthouse and Annex entrances are restricted to emergencies
- Bicentennial Park and Eureka Trail are open, but the mayor said that use is restricted to no more than 10 people on the playground at a time.
- No team games will be allowed at Bicentennial Park until further notice.
- In-person court proceedings are suspended, following an order from the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Gentry emphasized that people should continue practicing social distancing by staying six feet away from others.
"This new virus must be taken very seriously," Gentry said in a press release. "No gathering of 10 more should take place at this time. It is crucial that citizens continue to regularly wash their hands, and I ask everyone to check on elderly relatives and neighbors, to ensure they have food and supplies."