Across the Memphis area, new and amended commercial real estate leases are reflecting the pandemic and what such a "force majeure" can do to a business's ability to pay rent.

Close to 65,000 coronavirus tests have been administered in Shelby County.

If we want Tennessee to be one of the fastest growing states for business and have the best patient outcomes in the country, reforming — or, better yet, completely scrapping — certificate of need laws is an excellent and essential first step.

Tennessee Department of Health reported an additional 356 coronavirus cases in the state Sunday, bringing the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 20,145. A total of 383,576 people have been tested. The state also confirmed seven additional deaths related to the virus for a total of 336.

The nonprofit social work and health agency wants to add walk-up, COVID-19 testing for the homeless to the array of services it provides.

We must not allow social distancing to lead to dangerous social isolation. The recovery community is aware of the challenges created by COVID-19, and making sure resources are available for those who need them.

Shelby County officials have pointed to recent holidays as potential cause for brief upticks in COVID-19 exposure. With Memorial Day on the horizon, they advise caution.

In Shelby County, 1,865 new tests were allocated between Friday and Saturday morning, with a rate of positivity at 5.3%.

With 49 new cases in Shelby County between Thursday and Friday, the overall rate of positivity continues its fall well below 10%.

The Shelby County Health Department has advised against large in-person graduation ceremonies, according to a letter by Gary Lilly sent to Collierville seniors and parents.

That brings the statewide total to 19,394 confirmed cases and 315 deaths.

“My sense was that the money should have been distributed in the same way we distributed Title I money. I think that’s what most of Congress was expecting,” the Tennessee Republican said, referring to the federal program that supports students from low-income families.

The company's 937 employees in Memphis have worked from home during the pandemic, but a number reconvened Thursday to donate food and money for the Mid-South Food Bank.

Supply of the experimental drug is so limited, physicians must apply to a committee at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for approval to treat patients who meet specific criteria.

Mayor Jim Strickland’s proposal to expand testing moves the city closer to a more ambitious scaling up of COVID-19 testing as local health experts explore an even broader scale for the long term.

Tennessee's unemployment rate in April was the highest on record, eclipsing a low-water mark that had stood since 1983.

Shelby County's positivity rate has declined slightly with a small increase in cases due to more than 1,400 administered tests Wednesday.

Gov. Bill Lee said he signed an executive order Thursday allowing groups of 50 to participate in social and recreational activity. But he continued to point toward the importance of social distancing as people gather. The order includes Shelby County and five other counties with health department independent of the state.

Tennessee reported 6,081 new jobless claims from the Memphis area, raising nine-week total to 86,080 in southwest Tennessee and likely pushing it to more than 103,000 in the metro area.

The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is asking Gov. Bill Lee in letter form to end a program allowing personal information of COVID-positive people to be shared with law enforcement. Otherwise, it says people should refuse to give their addresses when tested.

As Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says, if masks are a fashion statement, people will be more likely to wear them. 

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland uses some basketball analogies and looks at the idea of a denser city post-pandemic. Meanwhile, Shelby County Health Dept. Director Alisa Haushalter pushes back on the idea of refusing to give your address if you test positive.

Shelby County reported 128 new cases this week, the largest single day increase since April 9.

Shelby County Health Department director Alisa Haushalter says the jump in cases may be due to outbreaks in nursing homes or related to Mother's Day gatherings, which would be in the two-week incubation period.