On Friday, May 29, Church Health and St. Michael Catholic Church will offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing from 3-7 p.m. in the St. Michael’s parking lot, 3863 Summer.

Testing is available to anyone, with or without symptoms.

Bilingual staff from Church Health will be on-site to facilitate testing. The Mid-South Food Bank will provide groceries to people who are tested, and ensure they have adequate supplies while waiting on test results and for those who test positive and must self-quarantine.

Call Church Health, (901) 272-0003, to make an appointment. All participants must have ID and contact information to receive testing.

This year’s Evolve Bank & Trust Cooper-Young Festival will be held on Halloween this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The 2020 festival is now scheduled 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. 

“It will be step back in time for us since our very first festival was celebrated on Halloween weekend back in 1988,” said Tamara Cook, executive director, of the Cooper-Young Business Association. “Cheers to cooler weather.”

The original date for this year’s festival was Sept. 19. 

Shelby County Health Department confirmed 50 new cases Wednesday, May 27, as testing numbers decreased to 821. 

Eight new deaths from the virus were reported Wednesday - the highest in a single day.

The positivity rate of the 821 new tests was 6.1%. The testing numbers represent a huge drop off from the 2,107 tests were confirmed Tuesday, the second highest in a single day to this point. 

Shelby County reported 4,581 coronavirus cases, 102 deaths and 3,125 recoveries, according to health department data. 

An inmate and 10 employees at the Shelby County Corrections Center have tested positive for COVID-19, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Wednesday, May 27.

Harris posted the information on Twitter Wednesday morning about testing at the Shelby County Division of Corrections, also known as the penal farm.

“We will continue to work to protect those behind the wall,” Harris said in the tweet. “Men and women serving time and those awaiting trial deserve humanity and compassion, just like the rest of us. This is why we will continue to expand our efforts to keep inmates and detainees safe in this new environment.”

Five inmates were tested at the facility and one tested positive along with 10 employees and no deaths.

The Pink Palace Museum and Lichterman Nature Center will reopen, to members only, June 2-7. Both will reopen to the public on June 9. 

“We want to have a soft opening of sorts for our members as a way to show our appreciation,” said Bill Walsh, Pink Palace’s marketing manager, in a statement. 

Employees will be required to wear masks and be subject to signature screenings. Guests will be “highly encouraged” to wear masks and required to undergo temperature screenings when entering. Guests will also be asked screening questions.

All public areas will be sanitized three times daily and hand sanitizer will be available at ticket counters, bathrooms and other locations. There is also signage to alert guests of physical distancing.

Local COVID-19 cases, change by day
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Local coronavirus cases, at a glance
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With its most recent distribution of $95,000, a local coronavirus relief fund has now surpassed $2 million in distributed grants. 

The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis announced that the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund awarded its tenth round of grants to seven organizations. The fund supports organizations impacted by coronavirus. 

Individuals, businesses and foundations have donated more than $3.6 million to the fund; $2 million was been awarded to organizations since March 18.

The latest grants are as follows:

Collierville will is postponing its annual July 3 fireworks show.

More than 20,000 people gather in H.W. Cox Park annually the day before the national holiday. In 2020, the town will hold its large fireworks show and celebrate its 150th anniversary during Labor Day weekend on Saturday, Sept. 5.

“The Collierville Independence Day Celebration is one of my favorite Town traditions, but the popularity of the event poses too great of a risk for us to proceed in July,” Mayor Stan Joyner said in a release. “Our event staff will bring all of our favorite parts of the Independence Day Celebration to our event in September creating a Collierville 150th celebration that we will remember for years to come.”