The president also announced he will use the powers of the federal government to direct all states to prioritize vaccinating teachers.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 42 new coronavirus cases and zero new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday.

Those 42 cases come from just 937 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 4.5%.

The City of Memphis continued to transition into administering COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, trying to streamline the process for those getting the shots.

Former Daily Memphian reporter Wayne Risher gives a detailed account of getting his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Raleigh. 

Monday was the first day of in-person classes for Shelby County Schools.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said the county will hire a national search firm to field the applications, which are due by the end of this month.

According to the latest Tennessee Department of Health data, just over 10% of the Shelby County population has received at least one coronavirus shot. That compares to more than 12% of the state population.

With the approval of a new COVID-19 vaccine, FedEx is preparing to increase the number of doses it delivers on behalf of the federal government each week.

Vaccine trackers reflect the daily raw data that feed them, but experts say specific comparisons are hard to make because there is so much inconsistency in data collection, among other factors. 

Going forward, vaccinating the citizens of Shelby County against COVID-19 is under the authority of the City of Memphis after the state transferred custody of the vaccine and administration of the process away from county leaders. It took a dizzying array of missteps for this to occur, and Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright says: “The public deserves to know what happened.”

Related story:
County vaccination timeline

From Feb. 1 through last Friday, Feb. 26, the missteps that led to Dr. Alisa Haushalter’s downfall as director of the Shelby County Health Department unfolded day by day. 

The Shelby County Health Department reported 136 new cases and no additional deaths on Sunday, Feb. 28.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the city is confident —along with its other partners like local hospitals — it can currently deliver 40,000 inoculations, both first and second doses, each week. That’s more than double the current average of 10,000 to 15,000 doses administered.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 192 new coronavirus cases and 12 new coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday.

Appointment signup links will now be released on Fridays at noon for appointments for the following week.

The announcement by County Mayor Lee Harris came three hours after new bombshell revelation from state health officials about the mismanagement of vaccines in Shelby County. It also did little to quell a growing controversy about the leadership of Harris in the controversy.

The day’s positivity rate for Shelby County is 5.5%. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths is 1,484.

State Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey says lax management is apparent across Shelby County Health Department.

The council can’t fire Shelby County Health Director Alisa Haushalter, but council member Chase Carlisle will propose the resolution at Tuesday’s council meeting. There could be more calls Friday, when Haushalter and County Mayor Lee Harris speak at a special meeting of the Shelby County Commission.

City Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen is in charge of accountability for the city. Deputy of accountability is Fire Department Director Gina Sweat.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 220 new coronavirus cases and 19 new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday.

Watch the COVID-19 Task Force Briefing live now.