Coronavirus live blog: 1,147 cases confirmed in Shelby County
Tawana Thirsty shops for groceries at the East Memphis Superlo while Martrail Nory holds Myanah Allen on April 8, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
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You can protect yourself and help prevent the spread of coronavirus by:
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
- Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze
- Avoid close contact (within six feet) with people
- 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
To view the city’s stay-at-home order, click here.
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 11, 2020
DeSoto, Marshall counties report new deaths
DeSoto and Marshall Counties each have an additional death from complication of coronavirus, according to Mississippi State Department of Health numbers released Saturday.
MSDH is also reporting the first outbreak at a long-term care facility in DeSoto County. The facility is one of 52 in the state being monitored by the state department. Outbreaks are determined by the state with as little as one case. According to a spokeswoman, the name of the facility is not released.
“Those that need to know in the community are informed,” said Liz Sharlot, communications director. “Many of these facilities notify the residents and their 'person responsible’ such as next of kin.
“There are no visitors at this time, the patient is isolated and others are monitored for symptoms. There is no public health reason to release these names.”
MSDH reported an additional nine deaths Saturday for a total of 93 in the state.
MSDH reports five new cases in DeSoto County for a total of 163 – the second most in the state. Marshall County has two more cases for a total of 30.
Hinds County, in the Jackson area, has 234 confirmed COVID-19 cases – the most of any county in the state, according to MSDH.
Watch today’s joint COVID-19 Task Force/Health Department briefing live
Today’s joint briefing from the COVID-19 Task Force and the Shelby County Health Department is set to feature City of Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen and officials from the health department.
Watch below:
The latest coronavirus cases, by the numbers
Health Department confirms 1,147 cases of COVID-19 in Shelby County
The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Shelby County has risen to 1,147, health officials said on Saturday morning.
In a release from Shelby County Health Department, officials confirmed that 26 individuals in Shelby County have died from COVID-19.
Officials reported that 12,500 people have been tested in Shelby County.
As of 2 p.m. on Friday, 4,862 people had tested positive in Tennessee.
The report also includes the number of confirmed cases in nearby counties, including 393 in Tipton County, 158 in DeSoto County, Mississippi, and 89 cases in Crittenden County, Arkansas.
April 10, 2020
Vanderbilt model suggests mid-May to mid-June peak, depending on behavior
A Vanderbilt University model for the COVID-19 crisis shows Tennessee’s cases could peak in mid-June if the status quo is maintained for social distancing requirements but could improve to mid-May under the best scenario, which would mean statewide testing and improved contact tracing, according to researchers who put together the study.
A lifting of current restrictions, such as the “stay at home” order could make the peak go up precipitously, with no end in sight.
Vanderbilt researchers say the Memphis area started with a high transmission rate but responded well to social distancing and, because of strong testing programs, the rate of transmission dropped dramatically.
Initially, the Memphis area had an infection rate of five people per one sick person but has dropped to about 1.5 infected people per sick person. That means one person was infecting five, but now one person is infecting only 1.5 people.
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