The Year-Long Trial of COVID-19

Masks and Zoom Meetings became part of everyday life in 2020 as the COVID-19 global pandemic came to Hardeman County.
After the pandemic caused schools to cease in March and cancel the rest of the year in April, Hardeman County watched Tennessee Governor Bill Lee advise schools to cancel as soon as possible. On that date, March 18, no COVID-19 case had been reported in Hardeman County, or any county bordering Hardeman County.
A week later, Lee cancelled in-restaurant dining, closed gyms and other “non-essential” businesses.
A week after that, Governor Lee shut down barbershops, salons, and entertainment venues with 15 separate mandates, including shutting schools until April 24.
The next week, Hardeman County reported six cases in Hardeman County, including possible links to cases in the Hardeman County Courthouse, which caused it to shut from March 31-April 8.
In early April, Lee moved the date to possibly re-open to April 30. Seven Hardeman County citizens were listed as having the virus on the state website.
On April 20, Lee announced plans to reopen the economy, in phases, on April 27, but Executive Order 30 failed to spell out everything, keeping salons and barber shops in limbo.
In early May, cases doubled from 11 to 20 in Hardeman County as tests increased tenfold and jumped to 208 out of 3,000 total tests in the following week.
In June, Governor Lee said things might open up again in August. Bolivar baseball began in June and completed their season in July, with no reported COVID-19 outbreaks connected to the league.
In August, Hardeman County Schools report a third of their students chose the virtual option for the 2020 Fall Semester.
In September, Hardeman County continued to lead the state in testing for counties with more than 25,000 people at 49.5% but led bordering counties in cases and deaths as well.
November saw the cancellation of traditional Christmas events in Hardeman County, as cases kept pace with West Tennessee.
In December, vaccines arrive in Hardeman County, with first responders and health care workers receiving the first doses.