SHELBY COUNTY, Tennessee — UPDATE 8/25/2020 - (NEWS RELEASE) - The Shelby County Health Department has issued a new health directive which includes amendments to provide a uniform reporting requirement in the event of COVID cases in schools. Schools that learn of COVID cases will be required to notify parents, families, staff, and other students at risk. This requirement applies to all schools. Furthermore, in an effort to expand the information about any potential spread in a school district, the Shelby County Health Department will begin to regularly distribute the number of cases of children who contract by school district lines.
Shelby County Health Director Dr. Haushalter: “The Shelby County Health Department will continue to expand the information that is reported out to the public, and in particular, its communications with communities and families at risk. These amendments ensure that critical information is shared with at-risk individuals so that they can take appropriate action to protect themselves, their families, and their loved ones. Also, these changes to the Health Directive will put us on the path to creating a more uniform approach at the various schools around Shelby County.”
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris: “The latest amendments to the Health Directive mean that when there is any confirmed case at a school, the Shelby County Health Department will work with that school to ensure that those at risk are notified and advised about reducing risk. We must ensure that those at risk—parents, families, students, and staff at schools—get the information they need to protect themselves, and receive that information as rapidly as possible.”
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8/24/2020 - Monday, the Shelby County Health Department issued a new health directive and a new mask directive, both of which went into effect August 24, 2020.
The new mask directive removes the exemption schools previously had pertaining to the requirement to wear masks.
The mask directive says, “Cloth face coverings or masks shall be required within Shelby County, Tennessee and as set forth in this Directive to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19.”
While it does list several exemptions, this one was removed from the new directive: “Within educational institutions, public and private K-12 schools, private colleges and universities, trade schools, post-secondary, and technical colleges, provided K-12 schools comply with the conditions set forth in prior and future Directives issued by the Department.”