Shelby County currently has four confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Joan Carr, public information officer for the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD).
The fourth case was identified late on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. That case is not related to any of the first three cases. The individual is a Shelby County resident who has no travel history outside of Shelby County, but did have out-of-state visitors who had mild respiratory symptoms while visiting. The fourth case is in isolation and receiving treatment in a hospital setting.
The third case, which was announced yesterday, is not a resident of Shelby County and had recently travelled to several other states. Based on the travel history and the date of onset of symptoms, the individual does not appear to have contracted COVID-19 in Shelby County. That individual experienced only minor symptoms and is isolated in a residential setting. The Health Department is now conducting contact tracing to identify persons who may have been exposed to the third case.
The Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage also has a new easy-to-remember link: shelbytnhealth.com/coronavirus. The page includes useful information about the virus and links to resources for individuals, families, businesses and faith communities.
Link to the state website: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html
Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: March 18, 2020
| COVID-19 Cases | |
| Shelby County | 4 |
| Tennessee | 73 |
| Shelby County Residents Approved for Testing by State Lab | 39 |
| Persons Under Public Health Monitoring in Shelby County | |
| 105 | |
| Above numbers updated as of 10:00 a.m. 3/18/20 | |
The Health Department is fielding hundreds of calls and emails each day about COVID-19. Below are statistics about calls into the hotline number (833-943-1658) since March 12, 2020, and a daily number of hotline calls fielded yesterday.
| Health Department Call Center Statistics | |
| Total Calls Received since 3/12/20 | 580 |
| Total Calls Answered 3/17/20 | 114 |
Messages for Individuals:
Together we all have a role to play to help contain the spread of this virus. Now is the time for everyone to carefully evaluate daily activities to limit social contacts and gatherings where exposure can occur:
- Practice social distancing – avoid handshakes and close contact with others when possible.
- Stay at home if possible. While Shelby County School students are out of school, keep children home and plan home-based activities.
- Do not go to work or school if you are sick, especially with fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms.
- Re-evaluate travel plans. If traveling overseas, check the CDC’s travel advisory website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. If traveling within the U.S., avoid destinations where COVID-19 has been reported.
- Avoid non-essential flights. Traveling by private vehicle limits exposure to other people.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Scrub dirt under fingernails with a brush and soap.
- Practice respiratory etiquette by using a tissue if coughing or sneezing, then throwing the tissue away and washing your hands.
- Sanitize surfaces that are frequently touched by many people with anti-bacterial wipes or diluted bleach solution.
Messages for Community/Business Leaders:
- Consider conducting conferences or meetings by phone or video chat rather than face-to-face.
- Evaluate what meetings or community gatherings can be cancelled or postponed to a later date.
- Consider what work tasks can be completed through telecommuting to limit person-to-person interactions as much as possible.
