CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Cases of COVID-19 are decreasing across the state as spread of the Omicron variant appears to be slowing, and the Montgomery County is no different.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health’s most recent Critical Indicator Report, which was released on Feb. 9, all indicators point to a decrease in seven-day averages of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

This means it appears we’re over the peak created by the Omicron variant.

Cases decreasing

Even though cases are dropping, the local case rate is still high. According to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, the rolling seven-day average for new cases on Feb. 9 was 217 per day.

For the prior seven days, the rolling average was 353 new cases per day. Before that, from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, the average was 361 new cases per day.

Also, over the last seven days, cases have decreased 38.57 percentage points and the percent of COVID-19 tests that have returned positive has decreased by 15 points.

It is difficult to compare these caseloads to other times since the Tennessee Department of Health changed its reporting frequency from daily to weekly at the start of the year.

However, during the peak of the Delta wave, active cases never exceeded 3,000 locally. Omicron cases blew that number out of the water.

On Jan. 22, active cases topped out at nearly 4,400 locally, but as of Feb. 5, there were 3,062 active cases, according to the Clarksville-Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard Hub.

Tennova also sees less patients

Last Friday, Tennova said it had also seen a decrease in the number of COVID-19 positive inpatients it was treating as compared to early January.

“In early January, our daily average was 34 COVID positive inpatients, and we are currently caring for 27,” Sandy Wooten, the hospital’s director of marketing, told Clarksville Now on Feb. 4.

From Jan. 31 to Feb. 4, a total of 54 people were hospitalized while COVID positive according to the hospital’s COVID-19 dashboard. Of those, 81.5% were unvaccinated and 14 were admitted to critical care units.

Wooten was not available on Thursday for an update.

Vaccinations

The vaccination rate in Montgomery County has also increased, although slowly.

According to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, of those 5 years old and up who are eligible to receive the vaccine, 74.1% have received a first dose and 64% have completed the two-dose series.

Since our last vaccination update in December, the rate among those who are eligible and have received a full dose of the vaccine has increased by 4 percentage points in almost two months.

When looking at those who are 18 and older, 84.6% have received their first dose and 73.7% have completed the two-dose series or received the single Johnson & Johnson dose.

Of all those who are fully vaccinated, 25.3% have received a booster dose in Montgomery County.