Relaxing restrictions. The Shelby County Health Department released a new health directive loosening restrictions for sporting events and restaurants. They adjusted the allowable distance between fans at sporting events to 6 feet and allowed restaurants to stay open until midnight.
Cracking down. The Health Department will crack down on restaurants found in violation. This comes after earlier news that no COVID-19 outbreaks have been linked to restaurants in Shelby County.
Back to school.
- Shelby County Schools seeks $26 million from the state for air ventilation and filtration and hints at a reopening date “aligning to flu and cold season.”
- SCS will phase in youngest students first.
- SCS reported a cluster of 15 cases among faculty.
- Municipal school districts expect to see more students returning soon.
Contact tracing. The SCHD’s contact tracers cannot reach 15-20% of those testing positive.
Economic impact. The University of Memphis announces job cuts and $50 million in losses due to COVID-19.
Death toll. Shelby County passed 500 deaths related to COVID-19. And COVID-19 deaths far outpace Tennessee’s average traffic fatalities.
This week. Below, we check in on the local numbers.
Shelby County
Source: Shelby County Health Department