MEMPHIS, Tenn — We reached another tragic milestone in the battle against COVID-19 in Shelby County.
Health leaders said Thursday COVID hospitalizations reached a record high with 721 patients. 203 of them are in ICU. That leaves only about 4% of beds open across the county.
Pediatric cases make up nearly 40% of all active cases in the county. And those numbers continue to outpace other age groups.
“But the other thing we're seeing is that the majority of our COVID-19 cases that are hospitalized are in our younger age groups. In those age groups 20s, 30s, and 40s. And, I think I've made this point before, a lot of those folks that you see that are getting infected that are unvaccinated are the parents of these children,” said Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Director.
Some encouraging news: more than 50% of the population in Shelby County has gotten vaccinated with at least one dose.
With Labor Day weekend coming up, leaders stress you should mask up in indoor public places and outdoor places with large crowds where you can't socially distance.