Tennessee doctors: ‘We are not ready to open back up’
Lee urged to slow reopening of state as hospitalizations rising
A small group of Tennessee doctors are calling on Gov. Bill Lee and other state leaders to take fiercer action and slow the reopening of the state in response to rising infections and hospitalizations from coronavirus.
The doctors argued Lee had effectively stalled the virus in April by closing businesses and ordering resident to stay home, but he abandoned these tactics too soon, allowing the virus to rebound after a predictable lull.
The state could have used this time to improve testing, contact tracing and isolation practices, said Dr. Thomas Phelps, a retired family physician from Tullahoma. Instead, Lee “rushed” to re-open, he said.
“The solution today is the same that we’ve recommended all along, and we tried but tried too temporarily,” Phelps said. “We need to expand rapid contact tracing and isolation of cases. That is fundamental.”
Phelps was one of three doctors who urged Lee to slow re-opening during a Thursday video conference with journalists organized by Forwardtn, a progressive nonprofit advocacy group. In the early months of the Tennessee outbreak, Forwardtn organized and promoted about two dozen medical professionals who unilaterally criticized the governor’s response as too slow and timid.
While Lee prefers to recommend but not require residents take steps to protect themselves from the virus, these doctors often urge him to go further. The comments on Thursday were no different.
“We’ve seen that masks work. We’ve seen that social distancing works. We’ve also seen that recommendations do not work,” said Dr. Susan Andrews, a family practitioner in Murfreesboro. “They didn’t work before, and they are not working now. We need to have leadership to save lives.”
Coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have risen in recent weeks after falling to a low point on May 20th. Gov. Bill Lee and state officials have described the rise as an expected and manageable response to lifting restrictions on residents and business in late April and early May. It generally takes a few weeks for changes in people’s activity to have a visible impact on the outbreak, so it is logical that the
“The solution today is the same that we’ve recommended all along, and we tried but tried too temporarily.” Dr. Thomas Phelps retired family physician from Tullahoma
outbreak plateaued throughout much of May.
Since May 20th, however, active infections rose about 40%. And the the number of people currently hospitalized by the virus climbed by about 40% since Sunday, according to new data released by the Tennessee Department of Health.
Lee said Wednesday his administration was monitoring the “uptick” in cases and hospitalizations, which had not strained the state’s hospital infrastructure.
“It’s not unexpected given that folks are out and about much more, moving around our state,” Lee said. “It’s very important that we follow this information, this data.”
Andrews, the doctor from Murfreesboro, felt the new cases sent a clear message.
“We need help,” she said. “We are not ready to open back up.”