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Tennessee has little data on COVID-19 among agricultural migrant workers
Months after COVID-19 outbreaks affected several commercial farms, the Tennessee Department of Health offered to test migrant workers on a volunteer basis, but existing preventative measures are not enforced and no data exists on whether this measure was enough to encourage the protection of migrant workers. After several news reports about outbreaks in farms across […]
Nashville to offer hotel vouchers to immigrant families with COVID-19 cases
Clarification: Metro is still working on the details of distributing hotel vouchers and will base distributing on the need to provide someone a place to isolate, according to Metro Health Department spokesperson Brian Todd. A previous version of this story said the vouchers were currently being distributed. Hispanics continue to make up more than 19% […]
Tennessee teachers feel ill-equipped for classroom teaching in COVID era
Although the school year began just a few weeks ago, teachers have many unanswered questions about keeping themselves and students safely while COVID-19 remains unchecked. Lauren Jordan, a teacher with the Franklin Special School District in Williamson County, feels safe, although only for the moment, she adds. So far Jordan had remotely taught her special […]
Bedne urges Hispanic residents, immigrants to continue COVID-19 tests
In spite of efforts to reach Davidson County’s Hispanic residents, who make up 19.3% of the county’s current 2,776 COVID-19 cases, testing has decreased this week, said Fabian Bedne in his two weekly Spanish language press conferences. Bedne, a former Metro Councilmember who serves as planner in Mayor John Cooper’s office, provides the conferences as […]
Superspread: A small family event led to an outbreak of COVID-19
(Editor’s note: The names in this story have been changed to provide privacy for the people interviewed. Most are essential workers and expressed fear of retaliation or job loss.) For Carmen and Ruben Padilla, who work in construction and house cleaning, wearing masks and gloves at work had become second nature. Both their jobs required […]
Construction COVID cases garner little oversight
While Nashville officials deploy more resources to enforce mask mandates at the honky tonks lining Lower Broadway, the city’s loosely regulated construction sites have emerged as the No. 2 source of the city’s coronavirus clusters. By last week, there were 233 COVID cases associated with outbreaks at 18 Nashville construction sites. Only long term care […]
Carpool app adapted to aid with contact tracing
An innovative app that both improves traffic conditions and helps with contact tracing has been on the back burner for a year waiting on the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for approval. Approved a year ago, Hytch Rewards has been waiting on federal funding in order to be fully implemented. The app was approved to […]
Bedne provides Spanish-language COVID updates in Nashville
Hispanic residents make up 19.2 % of Nashville’s current 4,218 COVID-19 cases, Fabian Bedne, a staff member in Mayor John Cooper’s office, reported Tuesday morning. Nashville has had 21,770 total confirmed cases and 195 fatalities attributed to the novel coronavirus, with 17,357 total counted as recovered. There are 176 active hospitalizations which put hospital capacity […]
Nashville targets outreach efforts to Hispanic community
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Nashville, Hispanics still make up 19.9% of positive cases. As of July 28, Nashville had 20,928 confirmed cases, with 189 active hospitalizations that have left ICU centers at a caution level. Recovered cases are at 15,956 while deaths are 190. Although positive cases in the Hispanic community have […]
Local tech company and MTSU partner for contact tracing study
Ride-sharing company Hytch and Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Data Science Institute partnered for a study showing the Hytch Rewards could be used as a contract tracing app and as a way to significantly reduce traffic congestion. In 2018, Hytch, a Midstate social impact technology company, hired MTSU to study data from the Hytch Rewards […]
From the 901: Four-way Democratic primary in Memphis features high-profile contenders
As the August 6 primary election nears, a fascinating Democratic primary race has drawn attention as high-profile contenders compete for State House of Representatives in Memphis’s District 97. Four candidates— Allan Creasy, Gabby Salinas, Ruby Powell-Dennis and Clifford Stockton III— are currently running for the District 97 Democratic primary. The winner will face either John […]
Immigrant rights group changes leadership as directors step down
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) faces new direction and leadership for the upcoming election as the current directors step down for a new leader. Co-Executive Directors Stephanie Teatro and Lindsey Harris recently announced their leave from TIRRC to make way for a new director, Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus. Tennessee Lookout spoke with Teatro, Harris and […]