MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Saturday night, there was buzz about a possible 'safer at home' order that could be put in place as soon as Monday.
A document has been circulating online, and we wanted to learn more about it.
You may have seen this by now.
It is a document, quickly spreading, in which the Shelby County Health Department issues a new 'safer at home' order to begin December 21st.
We reached out to the Health Department to see if this was, in fact, happening.
According to the department, the document is just a draft.
In a statement, the Health Department confirmed that December 21st was identified as an effective date, but it's only a proposal and could change.
This all comes right after Thursday' City of Memphis and Shelby County's COVID Joint Task Force press conference.
“We are really in a place of exponential growth and it’s critical to do everything we can to bring that growth under control,” said Dr. Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County Health Department Director.
Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County's Health Officer, said Tennessee has one of the highest transmission rates in the country.
“We’re much higher than the national average. Matter of fact, Tennessee is second in all states in terms of the rate of new cases,” said Dr. Randolph.
He read off a list of recommendations handed down by the White House.
“Increase our mitigation efforts such as reducing the capacity, closure of indoor gatherings, advising folks not to gather with people outside of their immediate household,” said Dr. Randolph.
“The data shows that largely people are giving this to one another through people with whom they are acquainted, or whom they trust, people they know, and the ways in which people are choosing to gather whether it’s in the home or at a public place outside the home,” said Doug McGowen, City of Memphis Chief Operating Officer.
Again, the document that has been going around is only a draft; however, a new health directive from the Shelby County Health Department could come as early as Monday.