Coronavirus live blog, April 1: Marshall Co. Schools suspends meal plan
Health Department medical director Dr. Bruce Randolph said 5,506 have been tested, with 9% positive.
Sam Stockard
Reporter
Sam Stockard is a Nashville-based reporter with more than 30 years of journalism experience as a writer, editor and columnist covering the state Legislature and Tennessee politics for The Daily Memphian.
737 articles by Sam Stockard :
-
April 2020
-
-
State projecting 7,000 more hospital beds needed for COVID-19 surge
Projecting an April 19-20 COVID-19 peak, Gov. Bill Lee predicts the state it will need 7,000 more hospital beds to handle the worst scenario of patient demand.
-
Lee: Surge is coming, could overwhelm state’s health care system
Gov. Bill Lee warned lawmakers Wednesday the COVID-19 crisis is expected to “surge” in two to four weeks, putting a heavy burden on the state’s health care system.
-
Governor not encouraging Mississippi, Arkansas COVID-19 restrictions
Gov. Bill Lee hasn’t asked Mississippi and Arkansas governors to declare “safer at home” guidelines even though their residents could carry COVID-19 back and forth into Shelby County, which has more than 400 cases.
-
-
March 2020
-
Parkinson, Coley urge stronger action by governor
State Reps. Antonio Parkinson and Jim Coley say Gov. Bill Lee needs to take more "decisive" action to stop the spread of COVID-19.
-
Lee makes statewide ‘safer at home’ request, closes nonessential businesses
As COVID-19 cases hit nearly 400 in Shelby County and reached into 77 of 95 counties, Gov. Bill Lee ordered all nonessential businesses to close Monday, March 30, and introduced a statewide “safer at home” measure.
-
Kustoff, Cohen join call for more federal assistance for Tennessee
U.S. Reps. David Kustoff and Steve Cohen join Tennessee Congressional delegation in calling for more federal assistance to battle COVID-19.
-
Memphis nursing homes take precautions in wake of Gallatin outbreak
Memphis area nursing, like others across the state, are doing what they can to protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19.
-
Coronavirus daily blog, March 24: SCS to remain closed ‘until further notice’
The number of confirmed cases in Shelby County is up to 135; confirmed cases are up to 29 in DeSoto County.
-
Coronavirus daily blog, March 25: Tennessee up to 784 cases, including 3 deaths
There are 784 confirmed coronavirus cases statewide, including three deaths and 53 hospitalizations.
-
Coronavirus daily blog, March 26: Strickland warns of possible reduction in services
"There may come a time when we must reduce your city services due to city employees becoming infected with the virus,” Mayor Jim Strickland said in an email Thursday afternoon.
-
Coronavirus daily blog, March 27: ‘Social nature’ of parks threatens access to them
The city could close parks if social distancing is not maintained.
-
Party’s over: Governing gets tougher overnight for Lee
Gov. Bill Lee's second year in office morphs into crisis mode, forcing him to make decisions on the fly, many of which he is reversing in a matter of days to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
State intervenes at Gallatin nursing home where more than 90 test positive
Nearly 60 nursing home residents and more than 30 staffers at a nursing home northeast of Nashville test positive for COVID-19.
-
Unemployment crisis: State jobless numbers jump, 4,355 claims in greater Memphis
The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development is training other state workers to handle the surge in unemployment claims, but lawmakers are asking for more help.
-
Governor outlines technology for quick test turnaround
Tennessee could sidestep a days-long lag time for COVID-19 through new testing equipment expected to be introduced during the coming week, enabling results to be shown in an hour or less.
-
Governor: State working with Vanderbilt on COVID-19 projections
Gov. Bill Lee is seeking help from Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a “unique” model to project the COVID-19 spread in Tennessee that will enable the state to determine its effect on hospital capacity and personal protective equipment as well as the next hot spots.
-
Testing numbers statewide released; local numbers still unknown
The problem is a state requirement that labs and other health care providers must report total testing and positive results to the state but only positive results to county health officials. The Daily Memphian found Baptist Memorial Health Care appears to be doing most of the testing in Shelby County. But some health providers refused to release numbers.
-
Governor still seeking Medicaid expansion for COVID-19 patients
As COVID-19 cases escalate, Gov. Bill Lee reminded Tennesseans Wednesday he is negotiating with the federal government for Medicaid funding to cover uninsured residents who contract the virus.
-
Governor extends statewide school closings until April 24
As COVID-19 cases pass the 660 mark, Gov. Bill Lee is asking every school system in the state to stay closed until April 24, three weeks longer than expected, while hoping students can get some form of instruction by watching lessons on PBS.
-
Lamar calls elections coordinator ‘vague’ on voting plan
With July early voting four months away, state Rep. London Lamar is questioning whether the Secretary of State’s Office is prepared to deal with a pandemic, saying universal absentee voting is needed to avoid risking people's lives.
-
Protective equipment shortage reaches pitch statewide as governor avoids stay-at-home order
In Memphis, hospitals are searching for new vendors, buying outside their purchasing organization lists.
-
Gov. Lee limits elective procedures
Lee said he hopes to free up protective devices and ventilators for the response to the coronavirus. In addition, he said Tennessee colleges of applied technology are using 3-D equipment to print face shields.
-
Email Editions
Sign up for our morning and evening editions, plus breaking news.
Most Read Stories
-
1.
Calkins: My friend tested positive for COVID-19 — but she went all over Memphis first
-
2.
Coronavirus live blog, March 31: Shelby County reports 405 cases, including 3 deaths
-
3.
Coronavirus daily blog, March 30: Gov. issues safer at home order; Strickland limits park access
-
4.
Coronavirus live blog, April 1: Marshall Co. Schools suspends meal plan
-
5.
County’s first COVID-19 victim: Family, church mourn retired UTHSC administrator