COVID-19 numbers continued their downward trend last weeks with case counts going down in DeKalb County and across the region. Though numbers are going down, health officials still urge caution as the death rate locally has grown.

As on Monday, October 4, data, 64 people have lost their life in DeKalb County as a result of COVID-19, and there are also still 104 people hospitalized locally with the virus. There are currently 190 active cases in the county, with 4,066 total cases and 3,876 recovered.

The DeKalb County School District dropped to eight positive cases of COVID according to data provided on October 1, down from 12 the previous week. DeKalb County High School had two cases, and DeKalb Middle and Northside three cases each. The report also shows 47 students in quarantine, 10 at DCHS, seven at DMS, 11 at NES, nine at Smithville Elementary, and 10 at DeKalb West. There were also six staff members in quarantine, three at DCHS, one each at DMS and SES, and one in transportation.

Cases across the Middle Tennessee region are also trending down, though case counts are still high.

In Warren County there are 457 active cases. There have been a total of 8,252 with 7,795 reported recovered. That county has seen 102 deaths from the virus with 157 hospitalized.

Cannon County has seen 38 deaths from COVID, with 77 currently hospitalized. They have 2,716 total cases, with 2,594 recovered. Cannon has 122 active cases.

Wilson County has been hit hard with 26,253 total cases and 25,161 reported recovered. They currently have 1,092 active cases, with 318 deaths and 656 hospitalized.

In Smith County there are 176 active cases. That county has seen 44 deaths and has 108 hospitalized. They have 4,056 total cases with 3,880 reported recovered.

Putnam County reports 16,217 total cases with 15,435 recovered. There have been 208 deaths from the virus, and 479 are hospitalized. There are currently 782 active cases.

In White County there are 290 active cases. They have reported 89 deaths and have 205 in the hospital. They report 5,370 total cases and 5,080 recovered or inactive.

The large metropolitan areas continue to be hard hit. In Rutherford County there have been 59,925 total cases with 57,799 recovered. There have been 518 deaths attributed to the virus with 1,161 currently in the hospital. They have 2,126 active cases.

The Nashville area is still a hot spot. In Davidson County there have been 117,244 total cases with 112,647 recovered. They currently have 4,597 active cases with 1,097 reported deaths and 2,928 hospitalized.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be spread through person-to-person contact, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or be inhaled into the lungs. Spreading the virus is more likely to occur when people are in close contact with one another (within about six feet for 15 minutes or more).

Masks help to slow the spread of the virus. They also help keep people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Wear masks in public settings when around people not living in your household and particularly where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations.