FedEx reported at mid-day Monday, Dec. 14, it had delivered COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 destinations without incident and ahead of schedule.

Baptist Memorial Health Care’s flagship Baptist-Memphis hospital on Walnut Grove Road will get the vaccine on Thursday, Dec. 17.

The day’s numbers were the highest new coronavirus case totals since the beginning of the pandemic. There are five new related deaths.

The Salvation Army is working hard to fulfill its holiday season mission as the pandemic impacts giving, but other charitable organizations are doing well.

The first COVID-19 vaccines for U.S. use arrived at FedEx’s Memphis hub about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. By 4 p.m., vaccine shipments had started moving to final destinations. Related article: FedEx flying high into latest earnings report

The Health Department also reported seven new deaths, and 738 people have died from coronavirus in Shelby County. An estimated 49,873 people have recovered and 4,318 cases in the county are active.

Faith leaders say this holiday season is less about the quest for a perfect Christmas or the best Hanukkah ever, and more about connecting with people as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact, and take, lives. 

From Nov. 28 to Saturday, Dec. 12, the Health Department reported an average of 501 coronavirus cases and 4,493 test results a day with a 11.2% positivity rate.

The 930 coronavirus cases came from 8,187 test results, yielding a 11.4% positivity rate. Five new COVID-related deaths were also reported, bringing the total to 731.

“This is among the most important work in the history of our company, and we’re honored to be a part of the effort to help end this pandemic,” FedEx president and chief operating officer Raj Subramaniam said in a release.

They were about as close as brothers can be, having been forced to share a bed or bedroom through childhood. COVID-19 took the life of Donnell Cobbins on Friday, Dec. 11. And Darrell Cobbins now knows the meaning of a stranger’s message to both of them when they were teenagers.

Nurses in hospitals are the most vulnerable, according to contact tracing interviews conducted in the last 30 days.

At the first Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon since social distancing became the norm, Robert Yates saw members tossing business cards across tables, but they did not touch them, they just took photos of the cards. 

About 36% of area ICU patients were either COVID-positive or suspected of having coronavirus.

Officials say SCS won’t resume in-person learning until February as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

FedEx’s Air Line Pilots Association unit said on Tuesday, Dec. 8, that 292 pilots had tested positive for COVID-19. The number has doubled since late October.

Part of the variable is the strain COVID-19 has placed on the funeral industry.

Haushalter: “As a health care provider and particularly as a nurse, I really value people having information to make an informed decision. So, our role collectively is to get information that’s accurate and timely to the public so that people can make informed decisions for themselves and their families.”

The Health Department reported 695 new coronavirus cases and six related deaths on Thursday, Dec. 10. The total of COVID-related deaths is 722.

About 38% of area ICU patients were COVID-positive or suspected of having the virus. Six additional coronavirus-related deaths bring the Shelby County total to 722.

Rep. Scott Cepicky’s bill would stabilize state funding in the 2021-22 school year at this year’s levels, even though a statewide decline in student enrollment this fall would normally decrease the allocation by at least $320 million.

The next Shelby County Health Directive, expected soon, will include recommendations that hospitals test employees regularly.

Le Bonheur, U of M team up to provide free mental health counseling to kids treated for acute trauma.

The 588 new cases come from 5,588 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 10.5%.

A $300,000 grant from International Paper to the Mid-South Food Bank is the first installment in a three-year, $900,000 pledge.