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.

On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer also talked about the rift between the Democratic county mayor and the eight-vote Democratic majority on the commission.

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%.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has agreed to accelerated COVID-19 testing of inmates at the Shelby County Corrections Center after meeting earlier this week with representatives of the community action group MICAH.

Gov. Bill Lee's Office isn't worried about President Donald Trump’s demand for houses of worship to open, saying he never ordered churches to close but did urge alternative services to avoid spreading COVID-19.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday condemned a church fire in Holly Springs that’s being investigated as an arson.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris made the announcement Friday at the end of an eventful week that includes a lawsuit over COVID-19 cases at the Shelby County Jail, calls for testing at the correctional center and a sit-in by jail prisoners with the virus as they were moved out of isolation.

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

Nursing homes are among the hardest hit by the coronavirus - nearly four in ten deaths in Shelby County occurred in those facilities.

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.

“At some point this pandemic will have run its course and we’ll get back to normal. ... Now, the question is when?’’

Officials say drug overdoses and overdose fatalities have surged since March 15.

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.

A local coronavirus patient is getting better with an experimental anti-viral drug, private school vouchers head to a Supreme decision, baseball could come back with a big change, and a chatbot named Peyton is ready to help you file your unemployment claim. 

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.

The County Commission isn't likely to approve another contract with the health care provider.

The president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority, during an appearance on "Behind The Headlines," also panned a set of four studies touting much broader savings if MLGW cuts ties to the federal agency. Lyash is pushing a 20-year renewal contract with a 3% signing bonus and TVA aid in helping MLGW generate its own solar power.

The details of the winning proposal for the new voting machines were made public Thursday with the signature of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. Still to come is approval of funding by the Shelby County Commission.

State officials are struggling to keep up with an unprecedented number of unemployment claims as residents express growing frustration and desperation.

Gov. Bill Lee said the State Attorney General has filed a request for the Tennessee Supreme Court to take the Education Savings Account case and allow it to move forward while the case is on appeal.

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.