The November 2020 general election was not a great one for the Republican party in Shelby County. It’s going to take a vast amount of work for the party to reclaim a majority.
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COVID-19 update
Vaccines. The COVID vaccination process has begun. Information about eligibility categories and scheduling is available at the Tennessee Department of Health and the Shelby County Health Department.
In Shelby County, 24,000 people have been vaccinated, but few are very happy about the pace so far. All appointments for January have been filled and some await second doses. Older constituents and their family members are frustrated that no waitlist has been prepared, and it has been difficult to follow the process.
Variants. Multiple COVID-19 variants are circulating around the globe and are said to be more contagious. Officials worry the UK variant could fuel case spikes.
New strains originating in the U.S. were discovered by researchers a week after White House officials warned of them and such warnings were dismissed by the CDC and the New York Times as “false reports.”
Strategy. An international study of lockdown measures and business closures reveals no clear benefit over other voluntary measures. But where lockdowns and mask mandates have failed, rapid at-home testing could make a difference.
Below we check in on the local numbers, state rankings, and take a final look at U.S. fatalities in 2020. All local data used comes from the Shelby County Health Department.
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COVID-19 update
A COVID-19 vaccine is on the way.
The FDA gave emergency use authorization to a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
FedEx has started the delivery process, thanks to Operation Warp Speed.
Healthcare professionals will be the first in line for the vaccine, which is great considering they are some of the most vulnerable workers.
This news comes the same day new cases hit a record 930 in Shelby County.
Below we check in on the local numbers. All data used comes from the Shelby County Health Department.
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Freezing out taxpayers
Our friends at The Beacon Center are out with their latest research on government waste: 2020 Pork Report.
Item number six on their list is the hiring freeze in Shelby County government. I appreciate the attention to our budget predicament, but some additional context is warranted.
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COVID-19 update
National lockdown. A member of the Biden coronavirus task force says a 4-to-6 week lockdown “could get the pandemic under control in time for a vaccine.” During the campaign, Biden said he would “shut down the virus, not the country.” The AP says Biden faces a “tough choice.”
Vaccine inadequacy. Dr. Fauci says social distancing and masks will be needed even after a vaccine is available.
Mask protection. Updated guidance released by the CDC on Tuesday says masks also protect mask wearers, not just those around them, by providing “filtration for personal protection.” The new guidance cites studies showing that masks reduce the risk of transmitting or catching the virus by more than 70%.
Vanderbilt study. A study by The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine shows Tennessee counties without mask mandates have higher COVID-19 death rates. The report stresses that this is a correlation and “the observed relationships between hospitalizations, deaths, and mask requirements is about a set of behaviors, including but not limited to masking.”
Also in the news this week:
- The City of Germantown voted 3-2 to ask Gov. Lee for a statewide mandate.
- The $51 million field hospital in Memphis is “ready,” except for the medical staff who would be needed to run it; there aren’t enough nurses.
- Study: Temperature checks, symptom screenings not very effective in detecting COVID-19 infections
- The Shelby County Health Department had to close facilities after positive COVID-19 cases among employees.
This week. Below we check in on the local numbers.