The Health Department announced Friday that it will mandate masks in public for those over age 2.

According to a written COVID task force update, the daily positivity rate continues to climb.

Shelby County reported its highest single-day increase of new coronavirus cases with 394 Thursday. Over the past seven days, the county is averaging 273 new cases a day.

Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, City of Memphis COO Doug McGowen recalled the other times that Americans stepped up and made a difference, and said that’s what needed to take on this pandemic.

Those 394 new cases come from 3,164 tests, a positivity rate of 12.5%.

Shelby County ranks No. 4 on the 14 highest-risk counties for Tennessee, behind Macon, Davidson and Sevier counties.

During that span, Shelby County recorded its four highest single-day increases in new cases and exceeded a 10% daily positivity rate in 10 of the past 14 days. 

As of 5 p.m. June 29, more than 80% of ICU hospital beds in Shelby County were in use, overall. 

After new COVID-19 cases rose following Mother’s Day and Memorial Day holidays, Shelby County Health Department’s health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph is concerned the same will occur after the Fourth of July weekend.

Shelby County has performed more coronavirus tests than any other county in the state, according to Health Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph.

The measures, effective immediately, include no out-of-county prisoners into the four facilities and more access to visitation and prison programs by video livestream. They follow a testing surge for prisoners and staff earlier in June.

Current COVID-19 numbers are the result of a total of 126,623 people being tested in Shelby County, an increase of 4,997 new tests.

Gov. Bill Lee signed Executive Order No. 50 Monday to extend the State of Emergency related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to Aug, 29.

The lack of new numbers is due to a data upload issue with the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, according to the Shelby County Health Department.

When public health agencies are not familiar to residents, it’s difficult to penetrate those communities during a crisis. “That’s like not having a military until you get attacked. It’s a bit too late,” says Shelby County Commission member Reginald Milton.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 365 new coronavirus cases and three new deaths Saturday. 

According to the state’s Hospital Resources Tracking System, 84% of acute care and 83% of intensive care unit hospital beds are being used, overall, in Shelby County.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has signed the ordinance that requires masks or face coverings inside public places within the city.

David Sweat, head of epidemiology at the Shelby County Health Department, said the age of those hospitalized has gone down since the pandemic started.

Josh Hammond at Buster's and other business owners, trying to do the right thing, aren’t entirely sure what the parameters are when employees test positive.

Those 294 new cases come from 2,963 tests, a 9.9% positivity rate.

In the past two weeks, the county reported at least 100 new cases 11 times and the three highest day-over-day increases to date. The record increase being 385 new cases reported Saturday, June 20.

The 191 newly reported coronavirus cases come from 1,342 tests, a positivity rate of 14.2%.

Over the past eight days, Shelby County recorded its three highest day-over-day increases since the pandemic began locally in March. Saturday’s report of 385 new cases from the health department being the high point.

Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter attributes the increase in cases among young people to carelessness as the community moves into Phase 2, more people going out in the warm weather, and too few people wearing masks.