Lewis County loses first to COVID-19 virus

Lewis County suffered the loss of one of its own to COVID-19, when SFC Ret. Floyd C. Tubbs Sr., a veteran of the Tennessee Army National Guard for more than 25 years, took his final tour of duty on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

SFC Ret. Tubbs entered the United States Army in 1966. He and his wife, Alice, could always be seen cooking for the Hohenwald National Guard Unit's food booth at the South Central Area Fair from the years of 1984 until 1994. He was a lifetime member of the Tennessee National Guard Enlisted Association and American Legion.

See an obituary, page 2.

The latest statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health on Tuesday, July 28 showed Lewis County had a total of 34 cases of COVID-19 with 11 recovered. The statistics also recorded 1,758 negative tests.

Testing by age range for the county is: 11-20 years, five cases; 21-30 years, four; 31-40 years, three; 41-50 years, nine; 51-60 years, three; 51-70 years, nine; and 71-80 years, one.

A breakdown of the statewide statistics shows most of the confirmed cases in Tennessee have been in the 21-30 year old range, but those over age 70 account for 81 percent of the deaths attributed to the Coronavirus. The statewide data also showed that 92 percent have recovered without requiring hospitalization.

With case numbers on the rise, more people are opting to take part in drive-up testing at the Lewis County Health Department. The Health Department is offering free testing Monday through Friday from 8 to 11 a.m.