Jackson, Tennessee (March 20, 2020) – Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, TN and the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department were notified of a confirmed case of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) today. The patient lives in Chester County, but was treated in Madison

County.

The patient was immediately placed in isolation and appropriate protocols have been implemented in

accordance with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Out of

respect for patient confidentiality, the hospital is unable to provide any additional details about the

patient’s treatment.

This case was not unexpected. Hospital staff members are well prepared for this situation and continue

to operate under rigorous infection control procedures. Infection control teams at West Tennessee

Healthcare hospitals are using a combination of best practices to help ensure that any virus does not

spread to other patients, healthcare workers or the community. This includes having protective

equipment and isolation areas to protect staff and others from airborne exposure to COVID-19. Further,

our clinicians train year-round to respond to any potential outbreaks of infectious diseases.

West Tennessee Healthcare visitation policies changed recently in order to further protect patients and

healthcare workers. NO visitors will be permitted to our inpatient facilities. The only exceptions will

be:

 One parent or legal guardian of the patient who is a minor.

 Obstetric patients may have one support person to accompany them.

 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have two parents who must remain in the

room the duration of the visit.

 Patients at end-of-life may have a very limited number of visitors who must remain in the room

for the duration of the visit.

 Patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor before and immediately after

the procedure/surgery.

 If a single, approved designated visitor meets an exception, this individual must be determined at the

time of hospitalization and may not be changed during hospital stay.

Patient safety is always paramount in the protection of our patients, visitors and staff. You can protect

yourself from transmission of the virus by washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with others,

staying home if sick, covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched

surfaces daily.

Those with general questions about coronavirus can call or go online using the resources below, which

are updated regularly, including:

 The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department at

https://madisoncountytn.gov/144/Health-Department or their hotline: 731-240-1771

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/ncov

 The Tennessee Department of Health at www.tn.gov/health

 West Tennessee Healthcare website at www.wth.org

About West Tennessee Healthcare:

West Tennessee Healthcare is a public, not-for-profit healthcare system with locations serving 19

counties in West Tennessee and Southeast Missouri. The mission of West Tennessee Healthcare is

to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve while providing exceptional and

compassionate care. For more information, visit www.wth.org.