Tennessee virus deaths top 7,000 with surge predicted

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee topped 7,000 deaths from COVID-19 over the weekend as experts warned that a new surge could follow the Christmas holidays. As of Monday, the Tennessee Department of Health was reporting 7,168 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. According to data compiled by The Associated Press, the state also had the third highest per capita rate of COVID-19 cases in the country last week. Meanwhile, the state Department of Labor and Workfo