Tennessee has highest one-day jump in coronavirus cases ahead of restaurant reopening

Tennessee reported its highest one-day jump in coronavirus cases as the state prepares to reopen limited dine-in service at restaurants in some parts of the state. 

Tennessee’s health department reported 9,667 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday. 

The updated total is a 478 jump in new cases, a 5.2 percent increase from Saturday’s total, and marks the highest single-day increase so far in the state, the Tennessean reports. 

The state also ramped up testing, though, conducting 147,473 coronavirus tests as of Sunday which is 6,068 more than the day before, according to the newspaper. 

Tennessee will ease restrictions put in place in response to the pandemic, allowing restaurants to provide dine-in services with limited capacity on Monday. Retail stores will also be allowed to reopen on Wednesday, with both industries committing to initially halving the number of customers in their establishments. 

Counties with the state’s larger cities, including Nashville and Memphis, will establish their own reopening plans.