Coronavirus live blog: 2,038 confirmed cases in Shelby County, 44 deaths
National Guard medics collect nasal swabs as hundreds of Memphians line up for COVID-19 testing at the Christ Community testing site in Frayser on April 25, 2020. For the first time, testing is being made available to residents not showing symptoms of the disease. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian)
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- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
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- Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean
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Here’s the latest from Memphis and Shelby County, below, when it comes to dealing with the novel coronavirus. To view our full coverage, check out The Daily Memphian’s coronavirus landing page.
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April 25, 2020
Shelby County COVID-19 cases rise to 2,038; 44 people have died
The Shelby County Health Department confirmed Saturday, April 25, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 2,038. A total of 44 deaths are related to the virus.
The number of cases increased by 57 since the Health Department last reported numbers on Friday, April 24.
In Shelby County, 22,510 people have been tested for COVID-19, up 855 from the 21,655 the day before.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, April 24, statewide numbers for positive cases of COVID-19 had increased to 8,726.
Local coronavirus cases, at a glance
April 24, 2020
Seventh resident, fifth worker of The Village at Germantown test positive
The Village of Germantown’s administrators report that a seventh resident and a fifth worker have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to The Village, the resident lives in the community’s Health Care unit. Six others who resided in the unit have also tested positive. Of those, three are hospitalized and four have died.
The Village said that all had been in and out of hospitals or other health care facilities and have serious health conditions.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our residents and their families,” said Michael K. Craft, chief executive officer of The Village, in a statement. “No other residents are known or suspected to have been infected.”
Of 42 employees tested, five have tested positive, 21 have tested negative and the test results of 16 employees are pending, The Village said.
The fifth employee to test positive is a contractor who The Village said does not serve in a direct care role and presents a low risk of disease transmission to residents.
“We began testing asymptomatic employees in the Health Care departments earlier this month,” Craft said.
Craft said that to his knowledge all employees are doing well and most are asymptomatic.
There are no positive tests among residents and employees of The Village’s Memory Care, Assisted Living or Independent Living areas, The Village said.
The Village has about 325 residents and employs a physician medical director on staff. Administrators said that executives are in consultation with an infection disease specialist on an ongoing basis and are in ongoing communications with the Shelby County Health Department and Tennessee Department of Health.
The Village is one of several long-term care facility outbreaks the Health Department is investigating.
Agricenter farmer’s market to open May 19
Agricenter International will open its Farmer’s Market on Tuesday, May 19, on an abbreviated schedule due to the coronavirus, the organization announced Friday, April 24.
The market has historically operated six days a week, but will begin its 2020 season being open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. because of the pandemic.
For now, crafts and other non-food items will not be sold.
“The Farmer’s Market is a critical part of our campus, and we are excited about the opportunity to open the market and offer the community better access to local produce and other farm-raised products,” John Butler, president of Agricenter International, said in a release.
“We are making new improvements to the Farmer’s Market to address additional concerns during this pandemic. We will be asking all our customers to practice social distancing and follow all local, state and CDC guidelines,” he said.
The Agricenter International Farmer’s Market has been a partner for the area’s farmers and ranchers since 1986 and is the oldest continuously operated farmer’s market in West Tennessee.
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