Reporter
Omer Yusuf covers Bartlett and North Memphis neighborhoods for The Daily Memphian. He also analyzes COVID-19 data each week. Omer is a former Jackson Sun reporter and University of Memphis graduate.
There are 729 articles by Omer Yusuf :
After eight years on Broad Avenue, Collage Dance Collective is relocating to a 22,000-square-foot location on Tillman. This is part of the nonprofit’s vision to grow into the largest Black-owned ballet company in the South.
The state’s Department of Education is expected to announce details Thursday about a plan to share COVID-19 school data, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
“Mask for Memphis” raised about $25,000 during the past four months and distributed 2,600 masks at multiple mask giveaway events in Raleigh, Frayser and other North Memphis neighborhoods. Masks provided through the fundraiser are washable and reusable.
Shelby County reported 2,020 more test results Saturday, returning a daily positivity rate of 10.9%. Tests reported are not solely from the preceding 24-hour period, but often from multiple days.
From August 15 to 29, the Shelby County Health Department reported an average of 176 new coronavirus cases and 1,709 test results a day with a 10.3% positivity rate.
James and Peggy Jefferson were both diagnosed with and recovered from coronavirus in June. Now they can focus on keeping their business, Sherrod’s Furniture and Variety Store, afloat.
Over the past four months, the Carpenter Art Garden, located on Carpenter Street, has distributed over 1,000 masks in Binghampton – free of charge – for both adults and children.
Emmanuel Tuombe grew up in Rwanda, a country of about 13 million people located in East Africa. In 2015, Tuombe opened an engineering and construction firm in Memphis, about 8,000 miles away from his native county.
The Shelby County Health Department is not tracking the number of COVID-19 cases in the schools nor is it requiring schools to report cases. Related: Like Shelby County, COVID-19 reporting among schools statewide is random
Four suburban school districts opened for a new academic year Monday morning like none they have ever encountered.
A gym, aquatics center, tennis court, park and art space are some features of the new Ed Rice Community Center.
Frayser Community Schools decided this summer to start the year with all-virtual classes due to increasing COVID-19 cases in Shelby County over the past several months.
It’s the first time students have attended in person school in Shelby County for nearly five months.
Until last week, the COVID-19 Hospital Impact Model for Epidemics (CHIME) from the University of Pennsylvania predicted 1,500 daily hospitalizations around that time.
The health department reported 235 new coronavirus cases Thursday. That’s the fifth consecutive day with fewer than 300 new cases, and the third consecutive day testing results were below 2,000.
“As things become more open, we’re relying on you, your own judgement to decide whether or not you should attend or participate in certain activities,” Dr. Bruce Randolph said.
During the period between July 22 to Wednesday, the county reported about 362 new cases and 2,309 tests results a day with a 15.7% positivity rate.
Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department health officer, attributed the positive indicators locally to increased mask usage and other restrictions put in place.
High school sporting events, University of Memphis football and latest coronavirus data highlight Tuesday's COVID-19 joint task force briefing.
Private and independent schools have far more autonomy in the decision-making process as opposed to schools in the districts like Shelby County.
Dr. Jon McCullers, a leader in the fight against COVID-19, encouraged parents and school districts to make the best individual choices when deciding on attendance for this school year.
Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County Health Department director, said the goal is to have coronavirus tripwires ready by tomorrow afternoon. She said this will be a good way to let the public know if we reach certain thresholds, actions will be taken.
Shelby County’s overall positivity rate surpassed 10% this week. A concerning number local health experts wanted to avoid on a daily basis, much less for the overall rate.
From July 15 to Wednesday, Shelby County averaged 375 new cases a day, 2,463 test results a day yielding a 15.2% positivity rate.
Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department health officer, said coronavirus test results are coming back in three days or less in some cases. The goal is for that to be between 24 to 48 hours.