SCHD COVID-19 Daily Update: March 21, 2020 – 46 cases

Shelby County currently has 42 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD).   The increase in case numbers is not unexpected because testing has increased, especially by commercial laboratories.

Please note: Laboratory reports of positive cases are reported to local health departments as soon as results are available. State numbers are updated at 2 p.m. CDT daily; but there is a lag in reporting of cumulative numbers at the state level, and that accounts for any discrepancy.

There are now indications that person-to-person spread in the community may be taking place. The Health Department recommends strict adherence to social-distancing recommendations:

Messages for Individuals:

• Avoid handshakes and close contact with others whenever possible.
• Cancel or postpone gatherings of 10 or more people. Instead of visiting friends or relatives, call or video chat.
• Stay at home whenever possible. While Shelby County School students and many others are out of school, keep children home and plan home-based activities.
• Children and adults may exercise outdoors, while maintaining at least six feet of distance from others.
• Do notgo to work or go out in public if you are sick, especially with fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms.
• Re-evaluate travel plans. It is strongly recommended to avoid any unnecessary travel.  If traveling overseas, check the CDC’s travel advisory website, which is updated daily: 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:

• Cancel or postpone meetings and conferences of 10 or more people.
• Consider conducting all conferences or meetings by phone or video chat rather than face-to-face.
• Adhere to CDC travel guidelines by reviewing the CDC’s travel website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html) and avoiding destinations with travel health notices.
• Discourage workers from using other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, whenever possible.
• Encourage and enable employee telecommuting to limit person-to-person interactions as much as possible.
• Businesses that serve the public, including restaurants and retail stores should encourage social distancing by putting space between tables and spacing out check-out lines as much as possible.
• Consider providing delivery or curbside pick-up options to limit interactions in stores and restaurants.

The Health Department is committed to providing as much information as possible to the public as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop. The Health Department’s hotline number (833-943-1658), was activated March 12, 2020. Since that date, it has fielded hundreds of calls from the general public about COVID-19. Below are statistics about calls into the hotline since March 12, 2020, and a daily number of hotline calls fielded yesterday.

The COVID-19 hotline is answered each day, including Saturday and Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

After-hours calls are returned as soon as possible on the next business day.