Shelby County Health Department health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph said the agency is looking at the possibility of exploring more restrictions after hitting the 450 case per week average. 

He mentioned that is only one part of the decision-making process. Randolph said they will reexamine the loopholes or confusion in the current directive.

Randolph said they want to make it clear if you have a tent that it is an enclosed environment. Consider it an indoor environment. Indoor dining rules apply in that circumstance.

Health Dept.: Inspectors made multiple visits to All Black Affair

All Black Affair/In Love Memphis closure

The Health Department closed the In Love Memphis yesterday, Director Alisa Haushalter said. She said the agency and Mayor Lee Harris' office had to gather info before making the closure.

Haushalter grilled by commissioners about Curtis Givens’ party

Haushalter said as the night went on, there was less adherence to the health directive at the All Black Affair.

She said the event manager is responsible for adhering to the directive. She said the Health Department doesn’t have the manpower to have staff at every party in town.

“Pictures are great but they are hearsay,” she said. 

She said they don’t have the ability to cite a significant fine. There is no financial penalty to the business.

The business can’t operate for a minimum for two weeks.

The business will have to submit a plan to the Health Department on how it can reopen safely and enforce adherence to the directive.

And any special event needs to be approved by the Health Department, she said.

Haushalter said people look for workarounds and that the Health Department will tighten language about enclosed spaces.

She said if they put capacity caps, it applies to every business. That’s why they have to be careful in that instance.

“It’s really going to take everybody to do what they can to reduce the impact of the pandemic,” she said.

That includes the DJs, and those who went to the event and didn’t social distance, she added.

CDC Quarantine Guidance

Haushalter commented on the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on quarantine. She started by defining quarantine.

CDC shortens quarantine guidelines from 14 to 7 days

Isolation applies to those who are actively ill and a threat to others. Quarantine is for those who could infected at some point.

Those who are infected with COVID, who test positive for COVID, are placed in isolation for at least 10 days.

Those who are no longer having symptoms and have no fever without medication for 24 hours can be released from isolation after 10 days.

Quarantine applies to someone who may have been infected or tested positive. A close contact. Those individuals were previously placed in quarantine in 14 days. The CDC still prefers 14 days, but allows for alternative approaches, Randolph said.

If a person is in quarantine for 10 days and has no symptoms or fever, they can be released and don’t have to get re-tested.

If a person is in quarantine for seven days, after the seventh day, they can be tested and if it’s negative they can be released from quarantine, after showing no symptoms or fever.

Randolph said even after that it’s important that they practice the right measures.

The new guidance on quarantine will benefit employers and allow children to go back to school earlier, Haushalter said.

Current Cases

Haushalter said this is the biggest peak Shelby County has experienced with the pandemic, at a difficult time of year.

“Together we can get through this, it’s going to take each and every one of us to reduce the transmission and impact on our community,” she said.

The case average is 471 over the past week, Haushalter said. That’s above the tripwire metric of 450 per week.

Shelby County COVID-related deaths are 61% Black and 31% white, according to Health Department data. 

Haushalter noted that communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID deaths. She also noted they are more likely to have co-morbidities like hypertension and diabetes that increase chances of death from coronavirus.

It’s important to get tested for the virus, even if you have minor symptoms, Haushalter said.

Now speaking on the new interview tool, Haushalter said there are limits to the information available. She mentioned the limitations of relying solely on the state database prior to the new interview tool.

The Health Department looks at the data on a monthly basis. Based on 303 interviews with COVID-positive cases in November, about half of the people continued to engage in activities of daily living while posing a risk to others.

About 76% went to work.

About 40% continued to go about public or social activities, Haushalter said. That includes going to meet up with or have a drink with a friend, or going to the movies.

Three percent engaged in school-related activities.

About 45% of people interviewed worked about one day, she said. Previously, that number was closer to three days. Thus reducing the transmission.

Ten percent continued to work for up to three days. The takeaway is that if an individual exhibits signs or symptoms they should get tested and remain isolated until getting results.

Upcoming Testing Opportunities

The City of Memphis offered free COVID testing before Thanksgiving. The decision has been made to offer free testing for the first three weekends in December.

Those who have traveled or have symptoms are encouraged to get tested. Those who were tested at the previous event are welcome to be retested.

There are no exclusions: testing is for both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals.

Vaccine Availability

Haushalter: Citizens in non-priority groups can expect vaccine March to June

On vaccines, Haushalter said they don’t expect the vaccine to be available to the average citizen until 2021. She estimated from March to April to June.

She said other efforts to reduce transmission are needed until more of the population can be vaccinated.

Health officials are still working on the details of the plan. The vaccine will be distributed through health care systems to distribute to high risk patients and employees. The Health Department will also receive and distribute the vaccine to other groups like first responders.

Teachers likely won’t get COVID vaccine before spring under Tennessee plan

Haushalter noted the importance of having a workforce that can effectively distribute the vaccine. They want two pods and easily accessible locations. They want to find others who can vaccinate others. That includes registered nurses and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who can give injections, pharmacists, etc.

Teachers likely won’t get COVID vaccine before spring under Tennessee plan

“Our planning is moving forward, there are meetings every day or every other day to fine tune what the operational plan looks like,” she said. She said the county is ready for the vaccine.

Nationwide, there are challenges of people accepting vaccines for several reasons, Haushalter pointed out. She said there are some populations in the county that are less likely to be vaccinated. She said it’s important for them to be able to answer the public’s questions before it comes out.