Health Dept. director ‘cautiously optimistic’ about COVID trends
Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor said she was “cautiously optimistic as cases and the 7-day average and positivity rate are dropping.”
Jane Roberts
Reporter
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
There are 1464 articles by Jane Roberts :
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September 2021
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CoronavirusAs childhood vaccinations lag, doctors worry about measles, chicken pox
Thousands of locals — mostly children in lower socio-economic brackets — could be vulnerable to diseases such as measles, diphtheria and chicken pox.
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Coronavirus 5- to 11-year-olds may have COVID vaccine by Halloween
Nationally, children account for one in five coronavirus cases. But in Shelby County the numbers are more severe, with 25% of new patients being youngsters.
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Spirit of MemphisIn business, Dunavant presided over big bang of his own
“He always wanted the best people to take care of his business. You know what? If you get the best people, you don’t have to worry about execution. He knew that if we executed, we would get another opportunity,” son Bill Dunavant said.
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Education Federal judge rules on governor’s school mask order
Federal Judge Sheryl Lipman ruled Friday morning ruled that the mask mandate in K-12 schools in Shelby County is lawful.
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City of Memphis Strickland sniffling, but expects quick return to office
The mayor is among 23% of Memphians who got COVID despite being vaccinated. About 77% of the city’s coronavirus patients are unvaccinated; 94% who are hospitalized are unvaccinated, and 99% of fatalities are unvaccinated, said Dr. Richard Walker, interim head of emergency medicine at UTHSC.
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Metro Coronavirus cases down slightly in Shelby County
But the positivity rate of 14% indicates that cases are undercounted.
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Education Ruling in mask opt-out expected before restraining order ends Friday
Compromise possible but lawyers say it’s more likely restraining order will be extended.
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Education Students say Rhodes slow to respond to racist incidents
An email to the campus community from interim president Carroll Stevens last week acknowledged incidents “that have contributed to our campus community feeling unsafe, particularly for Black and Jewish students.”
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Business Large employers can use Biden’s order to implement private vaccine plans
The Department of Labor will carry out the order through OSHA.
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Health Care Hospitals to receive more federal funds for pandemic relief
Portal for applying will open Sept. 29; no date yet on when funds will arrive.
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State Government Mask-optional policies hurt children with asthma, diabetes, lawyers argue
A ruling is expected before the temporary restraining order expires on Sept. 17.
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Education Judge overrules Gov. Bill Lee in opt-out policy
Shelby County is ordered to enforce its universal mask mandate in all schools.
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Business CBU forms social justice institute in honor of Brother McLaughlin
Brother Terence McLaughlin was instrumental in integrating the Catholic schools in Memphis before church leaders were ready to proceed.
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Health Care Tech startup builds app to cut docs, nurses some slack
ConveyMD podcasts helps health care professionals fulfill continuing education requirements on the run.
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Metro COVID patients break more hospital records
Tennessee as a whole is reporting 117 cases per 100,000 people, up 79% over 14 days, and the highest level in the nation.
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Health Care St. Jude enlarges COVID vaccine trial for children
Sites across the nation were asked to recruit more 5- to 11-year-olds to get a broader look at vaccine side effects.
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Coronavirus Last resort COVID treatment has long waiting list
Treatment can give COVID patients with a 10% survival rate close to a 50% chance of making it.
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August 2021
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Health Care CHOICES offering fellowship for Black midwives
Women in the U.S. die at higher rates in childbirth than many other developed nations. For women of color, the rate of death is at least four times higher. To chisel away at the gap, in January CHOICES is starting a fellowship to coach two Black midwives a year.
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Update
EducationJudge expected to act quickly in school-mask restraining order
The state argues that parents should seek remedy with the school on a case-by-case basis, as outlined in a federal special education act.
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Health Care Breakthrough COVID cases rising, 95% or more mild, doctors say
In Shelby County, about one in five (23%) or 1,185 of the daily cases reported in the last month have been breakthrough cases.
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Coronavirus St. Jude: Children with cancer face significantly higher risk of severe COVID
20% of children in global cancer registry developed serious disease; in 4% of cases, COVID was fatal.
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Business Class-action lawsuit alleges Lee’s mask opt-out order violates Americans with Disabilities Act
A class-action lawsuit filed today alleges disabled students can’t get a proper education without universal masking to slow the spread of COVID-19, and therefore that Lee’s order is unlawful.
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State Government St. Jude CEO takes on Lee’s masking opt-out stance
“Debate is healthy, but not when the debate is about wearing a mask that can decrease the chance of children contracting COVID-19,” Dr. James Downing said.
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Coronavirus Health Department renews mask order in new directive
New order also gives details on who is eligible for boosters now and will be in September.
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