SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)- As COVID-19 cases rise across the region and the reopenings of several local school districts are in flux, News Channel 11 spoke with Dr. Stephen May of the Sullivan County Regional Health Department on common viewer questions.

QUESTION #1

NASCAR’s All-Star Race happened exactly two weeks ago now at Bristol Motor Speedway. Has the Sullivan County Health Department Identified any COVID-19 cases linked to the event?

Dr. May said no case clusters have been identified yet related to the All-Star Race.

“It’s still not out of the realm that we might see a cluster tied to it. But at this present time, we’ve not been able to identify one,” he said.

He did not know if any individual cases were related.

“I have such a big team doing all these case investigations. It would be hard for me to identify just one, because I don’t look at every case investigation,” he said.

QUESTION #2

When it comes to school reopenings, Sullivan County is in the red safety threshold where exclusively remote learning is considered. Do you think in-person school can still happen in this threshold?

“I think so. As long as we can practice safe distancing, masking, and keeping things clean to prevent the spread of the disease,” said Dr. May.

He pointed out school systems hoping to open in-person will need to be prepared to protect the most vulnerable students and teachers.

“It’s going to be critically important that we identify cases early, place them into isolation and their contacts into quarantine,” he said.

Dr. May said the virtual-verses-in-person decisions come down to school leaders, not the health department. School system leaders plan to meet weekly with the health department to discuss COVID-19 data and determine their modes of operation.

QUESTION #3

How do you feel about the possibility of contact sports, like football, being played this fall?

“I still draw back to the basics. How can I safely play contact sports maintaining six feet of distancing and masking?” he said. “I still have questions on that.”

QUESTION #4

School leaders in Sullivan County have mentioned contained case clusters, such as those in nursing homes, may be factored into decision-making. If multiple cases are reported from one contained facility in the county, school and health leaders may only count that as one case when considering operational plans for schools. Is this still the plan?

“We’re still ironing out the methodology in how we’re going to do that. Nothing at this point in time is etched in stone,” said Dr. May.

QUESTION #5

Are COVID-19 positive employees, such as nursing home staff, considered part of those clusters?

“When we calculate a cluster, it includes both staff and residents. That’s standard methodology across the state,” said Dr. May.

QUESTION #6

Have many children in the county have contracted COVID-19? Have they fallen seriously ill?

Dr. May said about 12% of cases in Sullivan County have been in children ages 1-19. He did not describe the conditions of any pediatric cases.

“As a general rule, children do not suffer near the level of disease and may not show any symptoms of disease,” he said.

QUESTION #7

How is the Sullivan County Health Department doing on staff as cases rise?

“We are adding more staff, even as we speak. We’re trying to get more staff on board,” he said.

QUESTION #8

How long are test results currently taking to get back to people?

“It’s all dependent on the laboratory it’s sent to. Tennessee Department of Health gets it back in three to four days on the receipt of the specimen,” said Dr. May. “Some labs, particularly the larger commercial labs that operate nationally, can be as long as 10 days or longer.”

QUESTION #9

On Monday, White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Deborah Birx suggested Tennessee could slow coronavirus spread by closing bars statewide and limiting indoor dining. Do you think this would be a good idea for Sullivan County?

Dr. May said closing bars and limiting indoor dining is not currently being discussed for Sullivan County.

“We would have to discuss that with our mayors, leadership, and working with the governor’s office,” he said.

QUESTION #10

Do you believe Sullivan County’s mask mandate will be extended past its August 12th expiration date?

“I would anticipate it and hope we do,” he said.

Dr. May said he wanted residents to move beyond considering mask-wearing a mandate, and think of it as an act of courtesy.

“This is a proper social etiquette now. This is the way we show kindness and consideration for our fellow human beings,” he said.