According to a press release from Mallory Cooke – Public Information Officer, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department – 26 Madison County residents total have been approved for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing by the Tennessee Department of Health State Public Health Laboratory, as of Mar. 22, 2020.

Fifteen of those have tested negative for COVID-19.

Ten of those tests are still pending. One sample was unsatisfactory, which means the sample couldn’t be processed, because there was something wrong with the swab that was submitted to the lab.

These numbers do not include private testing labs.

Residents who may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their primary care provider for testing.

Please call your provider before you go to the office. If you experience severe illness and need to go to the emergency room, please call ahead.

Providers may choose to use commercial laboratories for testing.

The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department is not testing for COVID-19.

We encourage residents to take routine precautions used in guarding against respiratory viruses:

 Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap
and water are not available.
 Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
 Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
 Stay home if you are sick
 Stay away from people who are sick