Memphians are not happy with Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates in schools. 

Suburban school districts are no longer requiring mask mandates for students, in line with Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order. However, the Shelby County mandate still affects staff.

Shelby County Schools leaders, however, say the school system’s mask mandate remains in place despite the executive order that also includes mask mandates by school systems. Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner is suggesting the county should take the issue to court.

In the first 15 days of August, there were more hospitalizations than there were in any full month of the pandemic, although not all of those were due to the coronavirus.

EcoPro Services, a division of Empower Employs, provides jobs to the disadvantaged who sanitize agencies working with the homeless in Memphis.

The church is home to one of the city’s handful of Stephen Ministries, a program that pairs a person suffering from loss with their own trained lay person for a year.

Danton Barto, Memphis football’s all-time leading tackler, is in the hospital fighting COVID-19. He sent his wife, Shelly Beth, a text: “Get that shot for me.”

Memphis Fire Department Director Gina Sweat is asking the public to do three things — get vaccinated, wear a mask and social distance. In addition to COVID, car crashes have added to system stress.

With the Delta variant spiking local COVID rates, will tougher, more restrictive measures at venues and festivals become more common in Memphis?

“The ERs are inundated,” said Dr. Shailesh Patel. “If we do not change course, we are headed to our darkest hours, our darkest days.”

About 25 people were vaccinated at the event Thursday. In recent months, the City of Memphis has hosted various community pop-up in ZIP codes with lower vaccination rates to increase uptake as part of a more door-to-door approach.

In 24 states, nurse practitioners are allowed to practice independently, without supervision by physicians. During the pandemic, 15 other states loosened restrictions to give them more autonomy.

Within days, the Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force is expected to announce plans for how the local health care system will handle a number of coronavirus cases expected to surpass last winter’s peak.

“With the growing threat of COVID-19 variants and our duty to provide a safe environment for vulnerable patients, a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for our employees is the responsible and right thing to do.”

Shelby County Health Department director Dr. Michelle Taylor stands firm on agency’s authority to require masks.

Watch today’s COVID-19 Task Force Briefing with Mayors Jim Strickland and Lee Harris as well as Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor.

Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright says even with recent changes in state laws this year, it’s unclear where the health department’s authority to issue mask mandates and require other measures ends and where decisions by elected officials begin.

As of 5 p.m. Aug. 4 there were 423 COVID-positive patients in area hospital beds.

Testing will begin Sept. 6 for Health Department staff.

Hospital has nearly half the serious cases in the state.

No decision yet at Baptist, the area’s largest system; 58% of its 19,000 employees are vaccinated.

The delays to the Aug. 23 commission meeting followed a rancorous debate among commissioners and between commissioners and anti-maskers who taunted one commissioner online before Monday’s session.

Attorneys for pretrial detainees at the Shelby County Jail claim the county has not satisfied the requirements of a consent decree. 

While other districts struggle with trying to appease parents over whether students should wear masks, Bartlett City Schools will continue to follow the direction of the county Health Department.

Collierville will enforce masking at its schools. Students who do not mask will be sent home.