Cases more than double in Shelby County, now at 10
Dr. Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County Health Department Director, briefs the Shelby County Commission of the latest information on the Covid-19 virus in Shelby County. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian)
Editor’s note: Due to the serious public health implications associated with COVID-19, The Daily Memphian is making our coronavirus coverage accessible to all readers — no subscription needed.
With six new cases reported in Shelby County late Wednesday night, the number of COVID-19 cases in the county has doubled.
Health department officials say they are not surprised, saying the uptick is a sign that transmission is now happening in the community.
The cases in the county until this morning have all been related to travel, either people here returning from trips or having contact with people who had traveled here from other states.
The Shelby County Health Department also notes that the number of cases will likely increase now that commercial labs have begun reporting results on tests taken in the last few days.
Dr. Jon McCullers, infectious disease expert at Methodist Le Bonhuer Healthcare, is not aware of the specifics of the six new cases, but suspects the increase in number of local cases means local transmission is happening.
“With community spread, I’d expect cases to double every couple of days until we peak. Hopefully all the mitigation work the community is doing will make the peak earlier,” he said.
With the uptick in cases, the health department says strict adherence to social-distancing behavior is critical.
For individuals:
Avoid handshakes and close contact with others whenever possible.
Cancel or postpone gatherings of 10 or more people.
Instead of visiting friends or relatives, call or video chat.
Stay at home whenever possible.
While Shelby County Schools students and many others are out of school, keep children home and plan home-based activities.
Do not go to work or go out in public if you are sick, especially with fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms. Re-evaluate travel plans. It is strongly recommended to avoid any unnecessary travel.
If traveling overseas, check the CDC’s travel advisory website, which is updated daily: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. If traveling within the U.S., avoid destinations where COVID-19 has been reported.
Avoid non-essential flights. Traveling by private vehicle limits exposure to other people.
Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Scrub dirt under fingernails with a brush and soap.
Cover mouth with tissue if coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.
Sanitize surfaces that are frequently touched by many people with anti-bacterial wipes or diluted bleach solution.
For Community/Business Leaders:
Cancel or postpone meetings and conferences of 10 or more people.
Consider conducting all conferences and meetings by phone or video chat rather than face-to-face.
Move desks and office furniture to put at least six feet of distance between employees.
Businesses that serve the public, including restaurants and retail stores, should encourage social distancing by putting space between tables and spacing check-out lines as much as possible.
Consider providing delivery or curbside pick-up options to limit interactions in stores and restaurants.
Encourage and enable employee telecommuting to limit person-to-person interactions as much as possible.
This story will be updated.
Davin Roberson passes by the Tom Lee statue with a tattered surgical glove while taking a morning walk through the sparsely populated Tom Lee Park on March, 31, 2020 after Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city would start limiting access to city parks, including closing Riverside Drive. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Downtown Memphis resident Lea Ohara takes a walk through a sparsely populated Tom Lee Park on March, 31, 2020 after Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city would start limiting access to city parks, including closing Riverside Drive. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A PST officer keeps watch over a sparsely populated Tom Lee Park on March, 31, 2020 after Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city would start limiting access to city parks, including closing Riverside Drive. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A truck drives by the Kruger Inc. plant on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Kruger makes 1 million rolls of toilet paper a day in North Memphis. (Mark Weber/ The Daily Memphian) Sharon Gant, RN, is overwhelmed with the group gathered to show their gratitude towards health care workers Sunday night, March 29, 2020 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville.(Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) ER staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville come out of the hospital to view the signs and supporters gathered to show their appreciation for the health care workers, Sunday, March 29, 2020. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Nurses and staff exit Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville after their shift Sunday night, March 29, 2020. A group showed up with signs of encouragement to show their appreciation for the health care workers. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Kayleigh Taylor, 9, holds her sign of support for the health care workers at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Sunday night, March 29, 2020. Kayleigh's father, Chuck Taylor, and brother, Jackson Taylor joined her. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Sara Kate Netherton, 5, runs with excitement after seeing nurses coming out of Baptist Memorial Hospital- Collierville during shift change Sunday night, March 29, 2020. Netherton and about two dozen showed up to show their support to the health care workers. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Trisha Gray, R.N. waves at the supporters gathered at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Sunday, March 29, 2020. A group showed up Sunday at shift change to express their appreciation to the health care workers. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Krystal Cruise places "Heroes Work Here" sign outside Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville, Sunday, March 29, 2020. Citizens showed up at the parking lot Sunday night during shift change to show support to the health care workers.(Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Renee Timbs (right) and Donngal Mac Ronain with the Midsouth Makers try to figure out the right settings to cut clear plastic without melting it while creating face shields for the Memphis Medical Society on March 29, 2020. The group of tinkerers used 3-D printers to create the frame and a laser cutter to make a matching transparent shield. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Dave Myers (left), Ernest McCracken and Rich Thompson (right) with the Midsouth Makers donate their time to assemble face shields for the Memphis Medical Society on March 29, 2020. The group of tinkerers used 3-D printers to create the frame and a laser cutter to make a matching transparent shield. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Former Memphis State great Elliot Perry, hands out 14-day food boxes being distributed during a drive-through event at Memphis Athletic Ministries’ Grizzlies Center on Friday, March 27, 2020. The Mid-South Food Bank’s mobile pantry helped to supplement the food boxes for larger families. New Grizzlies player Justice Winslow and his mother, Robin Davis, were instrumental in their support of the event. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Memphis Athletic Ministries volunteers Anne Chambers (left) and McKenzie Akins (right) assemble 200 14-day food boxes that were distributed at a drive-through event on Friday, March 27, 2020. The Mid-South Food Bank’s mobile pantry helped to supplement the food boxes for larger families. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Memphis Athletic Ministries volunteer Jeff Cage (middle) directs traffic during a drive-through food distribution event on Friday, March 27, 2020. Cars backed up for over a mile, as they waited to grab supplies and food. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) A sign at the Overton Park playground explains why the playground is closed, but some Memphians were ignoring the warning on Friday, March 27, 2020, which is one of the reasons why City officials have threatened to shutter parks entirely. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A sign at the Overton Park playground explains why the playground is closed, but some Memphians were ignoring the warning on Friday, March 27, 2020, which is one of the reasons why City officials have threatened to shutter parks entirely. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Mostly well spaced out crowds flock to Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Lena Koelsch, 6, (right) draws encouraging messages to the sanitation workers and others walking along their street on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in East Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Elliana Mohundro, 7, (left) along with her friends draws encouraging messages to the sanitation workers and others walking along their street on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in East Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Neighborhood friends (let to right) Elliana Mohundro, 7, Lewis Koelsch, 3, Lena Koelsch, 6, and Namoi Burton, 4, draw encouraging messages to the sanitation workers and others walking along their street on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in East Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Staff and students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center work with the Shelby County Health Department on March 25, 2020, to continue drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the Memphis Fairgrounds. Patients must be pre-screened by University Clinical Health to ensure they have symptoms before they can get an appointment for testing at the drive-thru site. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Staff and students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center work with the Shelby County Health Department on March 25, 2020, to continue drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the Memphis Fairgrounds. Patients must be pre-screened by University Clinical Health to ensure they have symptoms before they can get an appointment for testing at the drive-thru site. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Staff and students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center work with the Shelby County Health Department on March 25, 2020, to continue drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the Memphis Fairgrounds. Patients must be pre-screened by University Clinical Health to ensure they have symptoms before they can get an appointment for testing at the drive-thru site. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) RN Shoniece Tate swabs a drive-thru patient as staff from Christ Community Health Services administer some 50 free COVID-19 tests at a tent behind their South Memphis clinic on March 21, 2020. Patients were screened before they could be tested to determine if they had symptoms associated with COVID-10, whether they'd traveled to an at-risk area or had otherwise been exposed to the coronavirus. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Nurses wait for the next drive-thru patient as staff from Christ Community Health Services administer some 50 free COVID-19 tests at a tent behind their South Memphis clinic on March 21, 2020. Patients were screened before they could be tested to determine if they had symptoms associated with COVID-10, whether they'd traveled to an at-risk area or had otherwise been exposed to the coronavirus. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) CBU engineering student Luiz Parolini Dutra, like many other international students, is languishing in the dorm on March, 24, 2020, as he begins remote course work. Luiz says he had packed up all his belongings because he thought he was going to have to switch rooms, but it didn't happen so now everything is a mess. He spends a lot of time in the cafeteria where food service is still operating, but calming the anxiety and boredom is a one-person show. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Students (left to right) Traevone Toney, 12, Zaniya Toney, 8, Janae Fisher, 10, and Kelsey Porter, 12, pick up work packets during a Shelby County Schools food distribution event Monday, March 23, 2020, at Orange Mound Community Center. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Sylvia Stewart (right) along with granddaughter Arianna Moore, 4, grab work packets during a Shelby County Schools food distribution event Monday, March 23, 2020 at Orange Mound Community Center. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Buffy Langford and her five children plan to stay inside, as ordered, to fight the spread of COVID-19. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland issued a shelter-at-home executive order Monday, March 23, "directing all residents of Memphis to stay inside their homes, and immediately limit all movement outside of their homes beyond what is absolutely necessary to take care of essential needs." (Karen Pulfer Focht/ Special To The Daily Memphian) Newlyweds Holly Whittle and John Steinert kiss in front of cheering friends who surprised them in the parking lot after their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. The couple had to pare down their wedding after social distancing was strongly encouraged to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Bride Holly Whittle walks down the aisle with her father, Jim Whittle, at her wedding to John Steinert on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. The couple had to pare down their wedding after social distancing was strongly encouraged to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. The couple's originally plan for 150 guests was reduced to 10 immediate family members. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Josh Spickler of Just City heads to the Shelby County Jail to post five bonds on March 22, 2020. Spickler plans to bail out 50-60 people to help them escape the threat of possible COVID infection. He has up to $75K available from the RFK Human Rights organization and others. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Josh Spickler of Just City counts out money to post five bonds on March 22, 2020. Spickler plans to bail out 50-60 people from the Shelby County Jail to help them escape the threat of possible COVID infection. He has up to $75K available from the RFK Human Rights organization and others. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Marisa McCracklin (left) and Vernetta Johnson experiment with new ways to high-five as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Jerrika Minnis (from left), 3, Jakira Jones, 5, and Paris Moore, 7, grab classwork from first grade teacher Taylor Beardall (reflection) while getting donated supplies at KIPP Memphis Preparatory Elementary school on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Erivana Sevion, 11, struggles to get her mask to sit right as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Kalynn Allen, 10, (left) ponders what donated supplies to grab while filling bags with Vincent Martin, 12, (right) that will be given to parents at KIPP Memphis Preparatory Elementary school on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Richard Lute, 71, passes out gloves with his wife Shirley Lute (right) as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Brenda Hardy (left) and pastor Doug Williams (center) pray with Sandra Ward (right) and her grandson Carnell Ward as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Christina Floyd gathers information during a drive-through food drive as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Autumn Robison, 2, pears out from a sunroof as her aunt Carlesha Chearie (bottom) grabs classwork from 1st grade teacher Tylor Beardall (left) at KIPP Memphis Preparatory Elementary school on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Sheri Bell (left), Marisa McCracklin, and Vernetta Johnson experiment with new ways to high-five as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Third grade teacher Franklin LeSueur hands out donated supplies and classwork to parents at KIPP Memphis Preparatory Elementary school on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Pastor Sheila Floyd keeps an eye on things as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) "It just feels like a dark time, and Christmas lights seemed to be a good way to bring some light to our neighborhood." said Ashley Baker as she, her husband Ryan and their three kids pulled out strings of lights, candy cane yard art , and their 12-year-old frosty standup to decorate their Midtown yard on March 20, 2020. Baker also admitted that it was a good way to get the kids out of the house and participating in a family activity as many Memphians start to feel a little cabin fever forced to lock down their homes in leu of spring break fun. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) "It just feels like a dark time, and Christmas lights seemed to be a good way to bring some light to our neighborhood." said Ashley Baker as she, her husband Ryan and their three kids pulled out strings of lights, candy cane yard art , and their 12-year-old frosty standup to decorate their Midtown yard on March 20, 2020. Baker also admitted that it was a good way to get the kids out of the house and participating in a family activity as many Memphians start to feel a little cabin fever forced to lock down their homes in leu of spring break fun. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Target Memphis Central customer Aggie Gaddy wears a medical face mask while perusing the depleted grocery aisles on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the store replaces their cleaning supplies and paper good daily and by the afternoon they are gone. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) A coronavirus testing tent is setup outside the Midsouth Coliseum at Tiger Lane on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The testing center is not operational, but officials hope to start testing by early next week. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Target Memphis Central customers form a line as they grab toilet paper on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the store replaces their cleaning supplies and paper good daily and by the afternoon they are gone. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Target Memphis Central team member Davunshae Gainer stocked depleted shelves with paper towels on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the store replaces their cleaning supplies and paper good daily and by the afternoon they are gone. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Target Memphis Central customers wait outside the store before it opens on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the store replaces their cleaning supplies and paper good daily and by the afternoon they are gone. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Es’ynce Woodruff, 9, (left) points to rolls of paper towels while shopping with Paris Hall (right) at the Target Memphis Central Store on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the store replaces their paper good supplies daily and by the afternoon they are gone. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Shanetha Russell wipes down refrigerator doors with cleaning wipes at the Target Memphis Central Store on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Customers shop the empty paper goods aisle at the Target Memphis Central Store on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) ITS Fine Restaurant Group social media team members Bella Golightly (left) and Miles Kovarik (right) strategize ideas to help displaced servers on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at Loflin Yard. Earlier that day, the local restaurant group announced the closure of several properties and employee layoffs due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Golightly, Kovarik and others in the group are looking for creative ways to help laid-off employees earn income during these trying times. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Shoppers line up outside the busy Costco on Germantown Parkway as management attempts to comply with federal social distancing guidelines by allowing 10-20 customers into the store periodically, a policy designed to control checkout lines and crowding inside the store. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Costco employee Jodie Bowden disinfects grocery cart handles for customers as the enter the busy Costco on Germantown Parkway where management attempts to comply with federal social distancing guidelines by allowing 10-20 customers into the store periodically, a policy designed to control checkout lines and crowding. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A list of out-of-stock items greets shoppers lined up outside the busy Costco on Germantown Parkway as management attempts to comply with federal social distancing guidelines by allowing 10-20 customers into the store periodically, a policy designed to control checkout lines and crowding inside the store. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Deltha Earnest boxes up shrink-wrapped packages as food prep workers at the SCS Nutrition Services center sort meals slated for delivery to a local community center on March 18, 2020. The SCS Nutrition Services Center will be ramping up production next week as the school district makes plans to distribute meals from some 60 sites that students on the school lunch program will be able to take home. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Claudia Diggs (right), Stanley Cooke and Jennifer Dennis join a line of food prep workers at the SCS Nutrition Services center to sort meals slated for delivery to a local community center on March 18, 2020. The SCS Nutrition Services Center will be ramping up production next week as the school district makes plans to distribute meals from some 60 sites that students on the school lunch program will be able to take home. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Food prep workers at SCS Nutrition Services sort meals slated for delivery to a local community center on March 18, 2020. The SCS Nutrition Services Center will be ramping up production next week as the school district makes plans to distribute meals from some 60 sites that students on the school lunch program will be able to take home. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Cadarius Hart joins a line of food prep workers at SCS Nutrition Services to sort meals slated for delivery to a local community center on March 18, 2020. The SCS Nutrition Services Center will be ramping up production next week as the school district makes plans to distribute meals from some 60 sites that students on the school lunch program will be able to take home. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter (right) sits in an empty Shelby County Commission chamber with David Sweat, Chief of Epidemiology for the Shelby County Health Department, while awaiting her briefing with the County Commission on March 18, 2020. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian) Kendrica Wright and Lee Williams sit on an empty Beale Street on St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Area restaurants and bars are experiencing a smaller number of customers due to the outbreak of coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Miss Polly’s waiter Eli Wheeler scans his cell phone during an unusually slow St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Area restaurants and bars are experiencing a smaller number of customers due to the outbreak of coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Harmonica player Michael Blumenthal performs in front of the empty Kings Palace Cafe on St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Area restaurants and bars are experiencing a smaller number of customers due to the outbreak of coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Artists Carl Brown (left) and Ernest Lawson (right) pack up their supplies around 7:30 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Area restaurants and bars are experiencing a smaller number of customers due to the outbreak of coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Tourists celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Beale Street on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, walk by the Blues City Cafe & Band Box billboard stating they temporarily will not have live music. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Buddy Nemenz sings to a small crowd gathered at Silky O’Sullivan’s on St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, a smaller-than-normal number of tourists and locals attend the St. Patrick's Day festivities Tuesday, March 17, 2020 on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Musician Jamie Kenton strums his guitar on a vacant Beale Street on St. Patrick's Day Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, a smaller number of tourists and locals attend the St. Patrick's Day festivities Tuesday, March 17, 2020, on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) And the band plays on ... Larkin Bryant (left) and Jim Turpin turn out traditional Irish tunes at Celtic Crossing on St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2020, as pub-goers try to balance everyday life with social distancing in wake on the coronavirus pandemic. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian) Margaret Walker sanitizes the wheelchair of her father, 80-year-old Henry Lantrip, while picking him outside of The Glenmary at Evergreen for a doctor's appointment on March 17, 2020. In the light of the coronavirus outbreak, visitors are not permitted inside the assisted living facility. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian) Alem Worku signals down the line as volunteers gather in groups of 10 to work an assembly line on March 17, 2020, at the Midsouth Food Bank warehouse putting together 14-day food kids for needy families in Memphis. The Food Bank is trying to assemble 50,000 kits consisting of 25 pounds of canned, vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, oatmeal and rice to feed families that may be forced into isolation by COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Ellen Barnes boxes up cans of fruit as volunteers gather in groups of 10 to work an assembly line on March 17, 2020, at the Midsouth Food Bank warehouse putting together 14-day food kids for needy families in Memphis. The Food Bank is trying to assemble 50,000 kits consisting of 25 pounds of canned, vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, oatmeal and rice to feed families that may be forced into isolation by COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Ariel Wade assembles boxes as volunteers gather in groups of 10 to work an assembly line on March 17, 2020, at the Midsouth Food Bank warehouse putting together 14-day food kids for needy families in Memphis. The Food Bank is trying to assemble 50,000 kits consisting of 25 pounds of canned, vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, oatmeal and rice to feed families that may be forced into isolation by COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) ServiceMaster employee Nick Eddy disinfects his cubical with bleach wipes at the ServiceMaster headquarters in Downtown Memphis on March 17, 2020, as many corporations shift to working remotely and others ramp up their cleaning regimen due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) ServiceMaster day porter Adrian Curry cleans and disinfects the cafeteria at the ServiceMaster headquarters in Downtown Memphis on March 17, 2020, as many corporations shift to working remotely and others ramp up their cleaning regimen due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A smattering of tourists and spring breakers visit Beale Street on March 13, 2020, before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began urging a nationwide halt to gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A mobile mammogram bus retrofitted to test patients for COVID-19 sits outside of Baptist Memorial Hospital on March 13, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian) Janitorial contractor Angela Jones wipes down phones and handrails in the deserted baggage claim area at Memphis International Airport on March 13, 2020. In addition to adding more cleaning staff to clean and disinfect, the airport has temporarily closed the C terminal checkpoint as well as Maggie O'Shea's and Moe's Southwestern Grill restaurants because passenger numbers have fallen significantly below projections during an expected spring break peak time due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A weary Dan Aaby waits for a flight home to Roscoe, Illinois, at Memphis International Airport on March, 13, 2020. The airport has temporarily closed the C terminal checkpoint as well as Maggie O’Shea’s and Moe’s Southwestern Grill restaurants due to COVID-19 because passenger numbers have fallen significantly below projections during an expected spring break peak time. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) The Memphis International Airport has temporarily closed the C terminal checkpoint as well as Maggie O'Shea's and Moe's Southwestern Grill restaurants because passenger numbers have fallen significantly below projections during an expected spring break peak time due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Deeanna Beene shops for paper goods during a busy day at the CashSaver in Midtown Memphis on March, 12, 2020, where there were some shortages on cleaning wipes and disinfectant as customers fearful of COVID-19 try to stock up. Beene says her doctor suggested she wear a mask because she might be at an elevated risk due to her age and diabetes. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Shoppers look for cleaning supplies during a busy day at the CashSaver in Midtown Memphis on March, 12, 2020, where there were some shortages on cleaning wipes and disinfectant as customers fearful of COVID-19 try to stock up. Manager Taylor James compared the recent volume to a prolonged snow storm with shoppers expecting to eat from home for awhile. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Crystal Dannell picks up a few snacks during a busy day at the CashSaver in Midtown Memphis on March, 12, 2020, where there were some shortages on cleaning wipes and disinfectant as customers fearful of COVID-19 try to stock up. Dannell has been visiting her brother, who suffers from leukemia, at the hospital and was asked to take extra precautions while out. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A man leaves the Memphis VA Medical Center wearing a mask on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hospital is using tents to pre-screen anyone who enters the facility. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) A man leaves the Memphis VA Medical Center wearing a mask on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hospital is using tents to pre-screen ayone who enters the facility. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Terrance Miller, a member of the Blue Suede Brigade, shoots photos for spring breakers Devina Lias (right) an Cherish Bridges in front of the National Civil Rights Museum on March 13, 2020. Miller is looking at a serious loss of income from his side gig with FedExForum security as sporting events and concerts get cancelled due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Terrance Miller, a member of the Blue Suede Brigade, jokes with spring breakers Devina Lias (left) and Cherish Bridges in front of the National Civil Rights Museum on March 13, 2020. Miller is looking at a serious loss of income from his side gig with FedExForum security as sporting events and concerts get cancelled due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Terrance Miller, a member of the Blue Suede Brigade, passes by the "I am a man" mural on South Main while walking his route near the National Civil Rights Museum on March 13, 2020. Miller is looking at a serious loss of income from his side gig with FedExForum security as sporting events and concerts get cancelled due to COVID-19. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Students and parents from Tara Oaks Elementary Schiol board the Island Queen at Beale Street Landing for a short field trip tour of the Mississippi on March 12, 2020. All six suburban school districts have announced they are not planning to close early or for additional days in response to COVID-19 fears despite the Shelby County Schools' decision to close. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) A Westside Elementary student walks past the front of his school after getting out of class on March 12, 2020. Shelby County Schools announced they are closing schools, starting March 13 and resuming March 30 “due to national developments and rapidly changing conditions regarding the spread of COVID-19," said Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian) Westside Elementary School parent Jacquetta Surney (center) crosses the street after picking her children Dominic McCoy, Damarrhi McCoy and Meilani Surney from school on March, 12 2020. Shelby County Schools announced they are closing schools, starting March 13 and resuming March 30 “due to national developments and rapidly changing conditions regarding the spread of COVID-19," said Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian) Central High School students listen to music as they wait for their afternoon ride on the steps at Central on March 12, 2020. Shelby County Schools announced they are closing schools, starting March 13 and resuming March 30 “due to national developments and rapidly changing conditions regarding the spread of COVID-19," said Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter gives an update about the coronavirus on March 11, 2020, at the Shelby County Emergency Management and Homeland Security office. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Concerned about catching "A cold or coronavirus, or just getting sick," Ernest Trice dons a mask in a crowd of Bloomberg supporters at Minglewood Hall as Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg delivers his stump speech during a campaign stop in Memphis on Feb. 28, 2020. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Church member Richard Lute, 71, passes out gloves as members of the Pursuit of God Church in partnership with Life Church, Bellevue Baptist and Mid-South Food Bank assemble some 250 food baskets to give away to those in need on March 20, 2020 at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Rev. Sara K. Corum, pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Memphis, preaches to her congregation in a livestream on Sunday, March 22, 2020, from an empty room in her midtown church. The church was closed to worshippers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Karen Pulfer Focht/Special to the Daily Memphian) Rev. Sara K. Corum, pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Memphis, preaches to her congregation in a livestream on Sunday, March 22, 2020, from an empty room in her midtown church. The church was closed to worshippers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Karen Pulfer Focht/Special to the Daily Memphian) Parent Dasha Pullen (right) grabs work packet for her children during a Shelby County Schools food distribution event Monday, March 23, 2020 at Orange Mound Community Center. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Bailey Station Elementary School preschool teacher rides through the neighborhoods of the school's students with her dogs Monday, March 23, 2020. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian) Marci Nobert, kindergarten teacher at Bailey Station Elementary School, and her daughter Mallory get ready to caravan with other teachers through the neighborhoods of her students to show support for the students during the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Collierville Municipal Schools were on Spring Break last week and will be off until further notice. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian) Gwen Reese, Director of Quality and Patient Safety for Christ Community Health Services, shows one of the swab kits being used during free COVID-19 tests at a drive-thru tent behind Christ Community's South Memphis clinic on March 21, 2020. Patients were screened before they could be tested to determine if they had symptoms associated with COVID-10, whether they'd traveled to an at-risk area or had otherwise been exposed to the coronavirus. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Lauren Thomas (left) and Shandrika Springfield with Christ Community Health Services screen patients before they can be tested for COVID-19 at a drive-thru testing station behind Christ Community's South Memphis clinic on March 21, 2020. Patients were screened before they could be tested to determine if they had symptoms associated with COVID-10, whether they'd traveled to an at-risk area or had otherwise been exposed to the coronavirus. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Newlyweds Holly Whittle and John Steinert smile during the their wedding with immediate family on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Holly Whittle (left) gazes at her bridegroom John Steinert during their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Bridal couple Holly Whittle and John Steinert kneel as the bride's brother, Father Patrick Whittle (middle), presides over their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at St. Louis Catholic Church. The couple had to pare down their wedding after social distancing was strongly encouraged to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. The couple's original plan for 150 guests was reduced to 10 immediate family members. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Bride Holly Whittle (left) looks through a door before her wedding to John Steinert on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. The couple had to pare down their wedding after social distancing was strongly encouraged to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Logan Abrahams hold a smart phone of a screaming Kristin Barry while they FaceTime during a surprise party for couple Holly Whittle and John Steinert after the couple married on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Newlyweds John Steinert and Holly Whittle celebrate with cheering friends who surprised them in the parking lot after their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Lance Horner (middle) uses a tape measure to make sure friends are six feet apart before they surprise bridal couple Holly Whittle and John Steinert after their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Newlyweds Holly Whittle and John Steinert celebrate with cheering friends who surprised them in the parking lot after their wedding on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at St. Louis Catholic Church. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Gloria Snipes adjuster her facemark while grabbing 14-day food box during a drive-through event at Memphis Athletic Ministries’ Grizzlies Center on Friday, March 27, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Memphis Athletic Ministries cousins Zachary Lesueur, 14, (left) and LeDerion Upshaw, 15, grab cartons of milk as they assemble 14-day food boxes that were distributed at a drive-through event on Friday, March 27, 2020. The Mid-South Food Bank’s mobile pantry helped to supplement the food boxes for larger families. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Memphis Athletic Ministries volunteer Kennyatta Morris (right) directs traffic during a drive-through food distribution event on Friday, March 27, 2020. Cars backed up for over a mile, as they waited to grab supplies and food. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Memphis Athletic Ministries volunteer Lindell Bonner places fresh vegetables and fruit in a car trunk during a drive-through food distribution at a on Friday, March 27, 2020. The during the event nearly 12,000 pounds of food and 200 14- day food boxes where handed out to families that waited in lines reaching over a mile long. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian) Matt Blackwell tries to take his social distancing seriously as soon as he can get his inflatable catamaran onto Hyde Lake at Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Erik Cortes spins his niece Anabella Garcia, 8, like a dervish at Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Paige Burchett tries to teach her mother Quartella Burchett how to do the Tick-tock dance to pass the time while practicing a form of social distancing with the rest of the Burchett family at Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Mostly well spaced out crowds flock to Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Mostly well spaced out crowds flock to Shelby Farms on March 26, 2020, as Memphians emerge from their sheltering-in-place to enjoy a budding spring day after weeks of poor weather and worse news have conspired to keep most folks indoors. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Davin Roberson laughs as he notices the Tom Lee statue with a tattered surgical glove while taking a morning walk through the sparsely populated Tom Lee Park on March, 31, 2020 after Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city would start limiting access to city parks, including closing Riverside Drive. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian) Renzo Gabaldon (right) pulls his niece Hope Jacobs, 7, out of the Overton Park playground after he noticed her inside the wall but some Memphians chose to ignore a posted warning on Friday, March 27, 2020, which is one of the reasons why City officials have threatened to shutter parks entirely. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian)COVID-19 in Memphis & Shelby County: March
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COVID-19Jane Roberts
Longtime journalist Jane Roberts is a Minnesotan by birth and a Memphian by choice. She's lived and reported in the city more than two decades. She covers business news and features for The Daily Memphian.
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