MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the third time this work week, Shelby County reported new record highs of COVID numbers, data not seen at any other point of this pandemic.
Friday, the Shelby County Health Department reported 3004 new COVID cases.
That broke the previous record highs set Thursday (2259) and Monday (1603) in Shelby County.
The latest record number of new cases again increased the number of active COVID cases in Shelby County to another record high: 13707.
The 7-day and 14-day new case averages are also at new record highs, at 1491 and 1025 respectively.
The daily test positivity rate is also at a new record high: 43.15% of 6271 new tests administered.
Thursday, members of the Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force said 61% of active tests sequenced were the highly contagious Omicron variant, making it now the dominant strain in Shelby County.
The number of COVID hospitalizations also nearly doubled week to week in Shelby County, from 164 to 317.
Health experts are urging the public get vaccinated and boosted and avoid large New Year's Eve gathering, especially those largely unmasked.
"People are still dying from COVID-19 in the hospitals and many of the monoclonal antibody treatments that worked on past variants do not work on the Omicron variant," Shelby County Health Director Dr. Michelle Taylor said Thursday. "If you are unvaccinated, let this be the day or the week or the new year that you change that. Your life may depend on it."