Interactive Chart: Coronavirus Outbreaks In Tennessee Counties From The Start Of The Pandemic To Now

Tennessee reached its highest number of active coronavirus cases over the weekend — with more than 40,000 Tennesseans contagious on Sunday. Rural areas have begun to catch up to the hotspots, but the state’s largest metro areas have been facing major outbreaks for months now.

To get an idea of how the pandemic has been handled in other big cities, WPLN’s Rachel Iacovone spoke with local reporters from Shelby and Hamilton counties. Katherine Burgess of the Memphis Commercial Appeal and Sarah Grace Taylor from the Chattanooga Times Free Press offer their insights in the conversation above.

Despite the recent surge in cases in rural areas, the cumulative case counts are still exponentially more in Tennessee’s biggest cities.

Below, you’ll find an interactive chart showing the ten counties with the highest case counts during a given week. Pause with the play button below the chart to see a moment in time, and toggle the slider to go backward or ahead in time for a better look. Notice that as outbreaks occur, whether it be in a prison, nursing home or somewhere else, a county from the hidden 85 others may pop up into the worst 10 list and then fade as outbreaks worsen in areas like Davidson and Shelby Counties.