Author: City of Memphis

From the national news down to our local outlets, everyone is talking about “the surge”. But, what does it mean? 

My friend and fellow COVID-19 Task Force member, Dr. Jeff Warren (also Councilman Warren) uses a good analogy to describe the way the virus spreads and why social distancing is so important. It goes like this:

If you place one lily pad in a pond and that lily pad doubles every day for 30 days, what day is the pond fully covered by the lily pads? You may think day 15. It’s half way through the 30-day time period—wrong. Day 29 is when the pond is half full, and day 30 it’s completely covered.

That’s a very good way to look at the surge of those who may become ill. That analogy helps to demonstrate why I chose to institute the Safer at Home Executive Order and everything that goes along with it. Unlike lily pads growing on a pond, through social distancing we can drastically slow down the spread of the virus and reduce the number of us who get sick. We believe our social distancing will help slow the spread, but in the event it doesn’t, we have been working daily to make sure we are prepared as best we can.

The graph below shows the steady increase in cases as we approach our potential surge of people in need of a hospital in Memphis and Shelby County.

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I mentioned the task force earlier. The Memphis/Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task force is made up of both Memphis and Shelby County Government with participation from other Municipal Governments, Nonprofits and local hospitals.

The task force is currently looking at all available options (adding additional hospital beds, staffing, ventilators, and PPE) to be as prepared as we can be for the potential surge. Phase 1 of this was just announced by Governor Lee as he selected Gateway Shopping Center on Jackson Avenue as an alternative care buildout in Shelby County. We are continuing to work on Phases 2 and 3 should we need them. Speaking of the Governor, he also just announced that his Safer at Home order is now mandatory for Tennessee residents.

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: April 2, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	638
Deaths	7
Total Tested in Shelby County	7007
Tennessee Total Cases	2,845* *As of 2:00 p.m. 4/2/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	22
Desoto County, MS	94
Crittenden County, AR	32
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 4/2/2020

Shelby County currently has 638 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Two additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported to the Shelby County Health Department overnight, bringing the total number of deaths in Shelby County attributed to COVID-19 to 7.

Map of COVID-19 cases in Shelby County as of 04/01/2020

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The Health Department’s investigation of an outbreak at Carriage Court of Memphis assisted living facility continues.

• The Health Department has tested 22 persons at the facility, including residents and staff.
• Of that number, 20 results have been returned, and 2 are still pending.
• Of the 20 results, 4 were positive and 16 were negative.
• Prior to the Health Department’s involvement, 2 residents were tested by other health providers and found to be positive for COVID-19.

• To date, there are a total of 6 positive cases at the facility, including 5 residents and 1 employee.

Carriage Court of Memphis is taking appropriate actions to contain the virus. The employee who tested positive is recovering at home in isolation.

Here is a breakdown of current cases in Shelby County by age range:

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Shelby County Health Department has added a data page to its COVID-19 webpage: www.shelbytnhealth.com/coronavirus.  It includes information about the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in Shelby County.

The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

Earlier today, I had the chance to speak with local grocers. There was one common theme that kept coming up–please, if you can, only have one family member grocery shop at a time. This helps with social distancing by having less people in store at the same time and also allows the staff to restock the shelves.

Hopefully, you’re seeing that we are doing everything we can to spread the word and remind everyone about the importance of social distancing. To further push out that message, I recorded a radio spot yesterday. I’m going to apologize now because you’re going to be hearing it a lot over the next several days.

To listen to the reminder, click below.

Positive Cases by Zip Code

Below is a breakdown of the 497 positive cases by zip code provided by the Shelby County Health Department. As you can see, the virus has spread to all parts of Shelby County.

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Faith Leaders

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been in regular communication with local religious leaders to keep them informed and give guidance on how to slow the spread of the virus. We had our third conference call this morning.

Dr. Manoj Jain, a local infectious disease specialist and contract employee of the City, joined the group today. In his remarks, he gave his expert medical opinion on the continued importance of social distancing and urging the group not to hold in-person religious services until we get through this. His message was well-received and also gave the faith leaders a chance to ask any questions they might have had. We will continue these calls for as long as they are necessary.

Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve been urging individuals, businesses, and foundations to make contributions to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. To date, donors have contributed $781,000 total, with $415,000 awarded in its first two weeks of operation.

Examples of organizations that have received grants can be seen below:

YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South: $100,000 to provide food service for Shelby County Schools students

Welcome to Memphis: $30,000: to award emergency grants to restaurant and hospitality workers

Community Alliance for the Homeless: $25,000 to house the newly homeless for 30 days

Neighborhood Christian Centers: $20,000 to provide family support and food stability

To see a full listing of grantees, learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Drive-thru Testing Reminder at Tiger Lane

Just a reminder about testing. No provider referral required! Testing is free. You will need an appointment, and you won’t get tested if you’re not experiencing compatible symptoms. See below for more.

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Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: April 1, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	497
Deaths	3
Total Tested in Shelby County	5506
Tennessee Total Cases	2,239* *As of 2:00 p.m. 3/31/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	21
Desoto County, MS	84
Crittenden County, AR	29
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 4/1/2020

Shelby County currently has 497 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Two additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported to the Shelby County Health Department this morning, bringing the total number of deaths in Shelby County attributed to COVID-19 to 3.

The Health Department’s investigation of an outbreak at Carriage Court of Memphis assisted living facility continues.

• The Health Department has tested 22 persons at the facility, including residents and staff.
• Of that number, 20 results have been returned, and 2 are still pending.
• Of the 20 results, 4 were positive and 16 were negative.
• Prior to the Health Department’s involvement, 2 residents were tested by other health providers and found to be positive for COVID-19.
• To date, there are a total of 6 positive cases at the facility, including 5 residents and 1 employee.

Carriage Court of Memphis is taking appropriate actions to contain the virus. The employee who tested positive is recovering at home in isolation.

Here is a breakdown of current cases in Shelby County by age range:

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Shelby County Health Department has added a data page to its COVID-19 webpage: www.shelbytnhealth.com/coronavirus.  It includes information about the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in Shelby County.

The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

One initial common misconception with this virus has been that it only affects people over 60 years old.

By the numbers—that’s simply not true, especially in Shelby County. The Health Department puts out a graph in their daily update, and I include it each day in here.

Today, I want to call special attention to the numbers in that graph.

Shelby County confirmed cases:

• 11-20-year-olds= 4.7%
• 21-30-year-olds= 22.7%
• 31-40-year-olds= 19.1%
• 41-50-year-olds= 16%
• 51-60-year-olds= 17.4 %

Grand Total= 79.9% of COVID-19 cases in Shelby County have been in people 60 or younger.

We’ve limited access to parks, shut down bars, reduced restaurants to take-out and delivery only, and required many other businesses to temporarily close their doors. We are doing everything we can to slow the spread, but we cannot do it without the public taking this seriously.

The virus doesn’t care if you’re younger or older. It doesn’t care if your black or white, and it doesn’t care how much money you have.  The virus does not discriminate.

To further illustrate the importance of this, this article is a great, real-life example of how quickly and easily any one of us can be affected.

Please wash your hands often, avoid large crowds and stay at home if you can.

Memphis and Memphians have risen to the occasion every time necessary throughout our history. This time is no different, and we need you more than ever.

Safer at Home Executive Order

Since issuing the Safer at Home order, I have received several complaints through emails, social media, and phone calls to my office about businesses not following our guidance.

I want to let you know that we have City of Memphis Code Enforcement Officers actively working through those complaints and making visits to businesses to ensure compliance every single day. However, they can’t be everywhere all the time, so please keep reaching out and letting us know about those few not taking this seriously.

To report violations of the Safer at Home Executive Order, please call 311.

Assistance for small businesses to complete local, state or federal applications for relief:

Our Office of Business Diversity & Compliance in partnership with Tennessee Small Business Development Center – Southwest has professionals on staff to assist small business owners with completing any federal application for disaster relief funds and compiling the necessary documents for submission. These Business Navigators are trained to help answer questions and guide small business owners to resources and services.

Any Small businesses can contact:

OBDC by phone at 901-636-9300 or 901-636-6210 during regular business hours or by email at bdcinfo@memphistn.gov or Joann Massey at  joann.massey@memphistn.gov 24/7 for assistance.

TSBDC can be reached online at TSBDC.org or by email at swtcc@tsbdc.org or email Tammy Partee at tpartee@tsbdc.org; if they cannot get to a computer they may call 901-333-5085

What can you do to help?

If you want to help those affected by making a contribution, you can donate to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. The fund will provide flexible funding to organizations working with community members who have been impacted by novel Coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.

To learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 31, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	405
Deaths	3
Total Tested in Shelby County	4665
Tennessee Total Cases	1834* *As of 2:00 p.m. 3/30/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	16
Desoto County, MS	77
Crittenden County, AR	17
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 3/31/2020

Shelby County currently has 405 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Two additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported to the Shelby County Health Department this morning, bringing the total number of deaths in Shelby County attributed to COVID-19 to 3.

To date, a total of 4,665 persons have been tested for the COVID-19 virus in Shelby County.  Here is a breakdown of current cases by age range:

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Shelby County Health Department has added a data page to its COVID-19 webpage: www.shelbytnhealth.com/coronavirus.  It includes information about the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in Shelby County.      

The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

Over the last several days especially as we’ve had nicer weather, more and more people have been getting outside, which that alone is not a bad thing. In fact, doctors even recommend it. That said, it does become a huge problem when people disregard the importance of social distancing.

In last Friday’s update, I announced that we were closing all City baseball, softball and soccer fields, and basketball courts. Additionally, we closed dog parks and skateboard parks.

Unfortunately, some people are not taking this seriously, and for the health of our city—they must start to do so.

What happened this past weekend at a couple parks in our city was reckless, irresponsible and selfish. Because of this, effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 31st, we are limiting park access at all city-owned parks.

The first restriction will be to cars. Riverside Drive will be closed, and I will be closing as many roads in and around parks that the fire marshal will let me. Second, even though our Safer at Home Order sets this out, I will repeat—no groups of people will be allowed to congregate in our parks.

Medical experts recommend outdoor activities, but only with people in your household and staying at least six feet away from everyone else.

To help us monitor compliance, we will have City of Memphis employees at parks throughout the city. These new restrictions are designed to allow people to walk or run through their neighborhood park but to prohibit people from congregating in large groups.

I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again—things will get worse before they get better. But, they will get better.

As mayor, I can only do so much. Government can only do so much to dictate the actions of citizens. Everyone must take personal responsibility, take social distancing and hygiene seriously, and stay home.

This is serious. You need to take it seriously because if you don’t—more people are going to die needlessly.

By staying safe at home, you will save lives.

We must all come together to stay apart and stop the spread of the virus.

Below is a graph that demonstrates the seriousness of this issue.

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To stay up-to-date on everything the City and Joint Task Force is doing visit covid19.memphistn.gov

For concerns about the virus, call the Shelby County Health Department hotline at 833-943-1658.

To report violations of the Safer at Home Executive Order, please call 311.

What can you do to help?

If you want help those affected by making a contribution, you can donate to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. The fund will provide flexible funding to organizations working with community members who have been impacted by novel Coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.

To learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 30, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	379
Deaths	1
Total Tested in Shelby County	4382
Tennessee Total Cases	1537* *As of 2:00 p.m. 3/29/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	15
Desoto County, MS	71
Crittenden County, AR	17
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 3/30/2020

Shelby County currently has 379 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That includes one (1) death.

To date, a total of 4,382 persons have been tested for the COVID-19 virus in Shelby County.  Here is a breakdown of current cases by age range:

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The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

As I’ve been saying for several days now, once more widespread testing becomes available— we will see more positive cases of the virus. That’s what today’s new number of cases shows. We were at 275 cases yesterday, and today’s number has risen to 362. To date 3,715 people have been tested with 3, 352 coming back negative. We are going to see more positive cases, and I just want you to be prepared for that in the days ahead.

Earlier today, our Joint COVID-19 Task Force issued guidance on facial covering and whether or not you should wear a mask in public. Read below for more.

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Since enacting the Safer at Home Executive Order, we’ve received several questions asking where to report someone who’s not following it.

All you need to do is call 311.

The Order is legally enforceable, and we will take every measure available to enforce it. This includes possibly issuing misdemeanor citations, revoking beer permits, and closures of businesses under nuisance abatement ordinances. The Directive issued by the Shelby County Health Department is also legally enforceable, and applies to all residents of Shelby County.

What can you do to help?

If you want help those affected by making a contribution, you can donate to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. The fund will provide flexible funding to organizations working with community members who have been impacted by novel Coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.

To learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 29, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	362
Deaths	1
Total Tested in Shelby County	3715
Tennessee Total Cases	1373* *As of 2:00 p.m. 3/28/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	11
Desoto County, MS	65
Crittenden County, AR	15
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 3/29/2020

Shelby County currently has 362 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That includes one (1) death.

To date, a total of 3,715 persons have been tested for the COVID-19 virus in Shelby County.  Here is a breakdown of current cases by age range:

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The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

As you may have seen yesterday, Governor Lee was in town which was good for a couple reasons. One—he was able to see first-hand how we’re handling the situation here locally, and two, my top staff and I were able to sit face-to-face with him and his team leading the fight at the state level to talk about our needs, our concerns, and our way forward.

Overall, it was a productive meeting, and I appreciate the Governor and his team making the time to make it happen.

If someone asked you the question a month ago, “Are you practicing social distancing?” most of us would have had no idea what they were talking about. Now, it’s in everyone’s vocabulary and constantly on the brain.

Below is a pretty good graph that demonstrates clearly why it is so important to slowing the spread of the virus. As you look at it, keep in mind that outdoor activities are great and even doctor recommended—as long as you’re maintaining social distancing.

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As many of you saw earlier today, we have had our first confirmed death in Shelby County from the virus.  My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones. This serves as a constant reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic must be taken seriously, and we must be vigilant in our efforts to stop the spread.

What can you do to help?

If you want help those affected by making a contribution, you can donate to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. The fund will provide flexible funding to organizations working with community members who have been impacted by novel Coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.

To learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 28, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases	275
Deaths	1
Total Tested in Shelby County	2773
Tennessee Total Cases	1203* *As of 2:00 p.m. 3/27/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN	10
Desoto County, MS	63
Crittenden County, AR	12
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 3/28/2020

Shelby County currently has 275 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That includes one (1) death. The Shelby County Health Department does not release identifiable information about specific cases in order to protect privacy. A total of 2,773 Shelby County residents to date have been tested for the virus.

Here is a breakdown of current cases by age range:

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Please note: Laboratory reports of positive cases are reported to local health departments as soon as results are available. State numbers are updated at 2 p.m. CDT daily; but there is a lag in reporting of cumulative numbers at the state level, and that accounts for any discrepancy.

The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

Starting today, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is making essential financial resources available to families that have been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.

Families can apply now online, for up to two months of emergency cash assistance if they were employed as of March 11, 2020, and they’ve lost employment or at least 50% of their earned income as a result of the pandemic.

Click here for more information.

In addition to families in need, Governor Lee recently announced that Tennessee has received a declaration for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration in response to a recently submitted request.

Small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have suffered economic injury as a result of COVID-19 can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million per applicant to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have otherwise been met.

Click here to learn more about the program.

Over the last several days, many of you have asked questions either through social media, emails, or phone calls to my office:

What are we doing for our homeless population?

Rest assured—we are keeping them top of mind.

The City is actively coordinating with Shelby County, MIFA, Community Alliance for the Homeless, Hospitality Hub and other agencies throughout the City to monitor the capacity and needs shelter providers throughout the City. People who are experiencing homelessness should contact MIFA’s Homeless Hotline at 901-529-4545 in order to be connected to shelter alternatives. If there are individuals that are experiencing domestic violence, they can seek support through the Family Safety Center (901) 222-4400) or Shelby County Crime Victim & Rape Crisis Center (901-222-3950).

My employer isn’t requiring social distancing at work. What should I do?

OSHA is in the best place to report workplace hazards. Under the Safer at Home Order, “essential businesses” remaining open must operate in such a way to protect the health and safety of the community, employees, vendors, and the general public. This includes compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf) and other applicable state and federal workplace rules.

You may contact the local OSHA office at (901) 543-7259. In addition, you may contact Shelby County Health Department at (901) 222-9000 regarding health concerns in your workplace.

City Services

As we move through this pandemic, I want to prepare you that there may come a time when we must reduce your city services due to city employees becoming infected with the virus. As it stands right now, 11 of our more than 8,000 City of Memphis employees have tested positive for COVID-19; however, we know that number is only going to rise and more employees will be quarantined because they will come in contact with someone with the virus.

The precautionary measures the we have put in place within City government have limited potential spread of COVID-19, and we are closely monitoring employees for any symptoms. We are providing additional PPE, restricting personal interaction, conducting additional screening of all 911 calls, and numerous other measures. We will continue to make the health and safety of our residents and our employees our number one priority.

What can you do to help?

If you want help those affected by making a contribution, you can donate to the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund at the Community Foundation. The fund will provide flexible funding to organizations working with community members who have been impacted by novel Coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.
To learn more and donate online, visit cfgm.org/COVID

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 26, 2020

COVID-19 Cases
Shelby County Cases: 198
Tennessee Total Cases: 957*
*As of 2:00 p.m. 3/26/20
Other Jurisdictions:
Tipton County, TN: 6
Desoto County, MS: 36
Crittenden County, AR: 7
Numbers current as of 10:00 a.m. 3/26/2020

Shelby County currently has 198 confirmed COVID-19 cases. All out-of-county residents have been transferred to their local health department jurisdictions. Going forward, Shelby County Health Department will only track resident cases.
The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658).

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) helpline remains open to help families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia illnesses during this time as we are faced with the Coronavirus pandemic.

The AFA toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) is open seven days a week and staffed entirely by licensed social workers who are trained in dementia care.

We are able assist callers with topics/questions about combating isolation, keeping engaged, washing tips, caregiver stress, whether family members should visit during this time, items to have in the home, etc.

Families can connect with the AFA Helpline in any of the following ways:

• Via phone by calling 866-232-8484
• Web chat by visiting www.alzfdn.org and clicking on the blue and white chat icon on the lower right hand corner of the page
• Sending a text message to 646-586-5283

The web and text chat features are available in more than 90 languages.