Virus shuts 2 more Chattanooga community centers

Officials push vaccines as variant catches hold

Mayor Tim Kelly on Monday ordered the closure of a third and fourth Chattanooga community center because of a confirmed COVID-19 case at the facilities, according to news releases from city hall.

The temporary closings of the East Chattanooga Community Center and Carver Community Center followed the closures last week of the Washington Hills Community Center and Frances B. Wyatt Community Center, also closed because of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Summer camps at the two sites are canceled, and the city is working with the Hamilton County Health Department on contact tracing, the releases state. Employees who have been vaccinated will be assigned to other locations during the closure, and the center will reopen following deep cleaning, sanitization and quarantine protocols.

The decision on when to reopen the centers will be made in consultation with Mary Lambert, the city’s director of community health, according to officials.

“New variants of the COVID-19 virus are making younger people sicker, up to and including serious critical illness, long-term health problems, and death, as well as spreading more quickly than before,” said Dr. Lambert. “This is now the fourth community center we have closed in the last week due to outbreaks of this virus, and the only way to prevent the situation from growing worse is to get vaccinated and protect yourself.”

Chattanooga-area residents may find convenient vaccination locations at vaccines.gov. The COVID-19 hotline is also available to assist with COVID19 vaccine inquiries Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 423-209-8383.