571 new COVID-19 cases, 5 more virus deaths in Nashville in the past 2 days

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Nashville Mayor John Cooper says Nashville has seen 571 new cases of COVID-19 and five additional virus deaths in the city in the past 48 hours.

This comes as Vanderbilt researchers report that COVID-19 cases are growing "exponentially" in Nashville as the Delta variant spreads in the state. The seven day moving average for positive COVID-19 tests is now at 11.4%, according to Metro Health data.

Vanderbilt Microbiome researchers insist the springtime lull in COVID-19 cases is over with a new surge happening now.

As of Friday, 2,980 cases of COVID-19 are active in Davidson County. Metro Health data shows 171 people are currently hospitalized for the virus in Nashville. Find the latest dashboard of statistics from Metro Health by clicking here.

Nashville officials are urging people to get vaccinated against the virus. Find information here.