Tennessee Department of Health COVID-19 Update # 13
April 6, 2020
Nashville, TN -- Governor Bill Lee provided an update on Tennessee’s efforts regarding COVID-19 relief.
Gov. Lee’s daily press conferences can be viewed live this week Monday through Thursday at 3 p.m. CDT here. Gov. Lee has also established a website specific to COVID-19 updates which can be found here.
Administration Actions
Small and Rural Hospital Grants
Gov Lee. has allocated $10 million in Small and Rural Hospital Readiness Grants to support hospitals that are facing financial strain due to the ongoing response to COVID-19.
For participating hospitals, the grants will serve as a bridge over the coming weeks while elective procedures are suspended and new federal funds are still processing. Applications are live today and can be accessed here along with additional information.
Local Government Grants
Gov. Lee has allocated $200 million in grants to be distributed to every county and city government across Tennessee for one-time, local expenses in fiscal year 2021.
Funding is based on population as published by the US Census Bureau. Each county will receive at least $500,000, and each city or municipality will receive at least $30,000.
The application will be made available by April 30, 2020, and the funds will be made available after July 1, 2020. Additional information is available here.
Care for the Uninsured
Gov. Lee is committed to ensuring all Tennesseans receive the treatment they need for COVID-19. Congress passed and President Trump signed the CARES Act, which provides millions of dollars for treatment of the uninsured. Federal guidance is forthcoming on how funds from the CARES Act will be directed to providers to serve those without insurance.
The Tennessee Division of TennCare also submitted a waiver to the federal government seeking matching dollars to address the uninsured population.
Current Department of Health Testing Results (as of 2 p.m. 4/6)
| Laboratory Type | Positive Test | Negative Tests | Total |
| State PH Lab | 332 | 2,295 | 2,627 |
| Non-State PH Lab | 3,470 | 41,253 | 44,723 |
| Total | 3,802 | 43,548 | 47,350 |
For more information on COVID-19 in Tennessee, please visit the Tennessee Department of Health’s website here.
Press Release from Tennessee Office of Governor