UT Medical Center says the hospital is in a “yellow, but worsening” state

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Knox County Board of Health discussed the COVID-19 impact in the county and surrounding counties during Wednesday night’s meeting.

During the meeting, Dr. James Shamiyeh with the University of Tennessee Medical Center said the hospital is in a “yellow, but worsening” state as the number of employees out sick have increased.

He also mentioned that surrounding counties have seen a record number of hospitalizations at one time since the pandemic began. He reports there are currently roughly 236 people in the hospital, but also adds that Knox County has been able to avoid those problems due to the way the health department and hospitals work.

Dr. Shamiyeh wrapped up his presentation to the board by saying October has been the worst month of the pandemic for growth and hospitalizations and it will likely affect the number of hospitalizations in November.