MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
In Monday’s Ransom Note: keeping up. It's hard to in this business. No sooner had Katina and I walked off the set at six did we learn the University of Tennessee was cancelling in-person classes for the semester and graduation. Tunica casinos were ordered closed. Shelby County Schools will stay closed into April. Lifetime, LA Fitness and other gyms are all closing their doors.
The reason we're shutting down is this: it's called flattening the curve. If we don't shut down, and we're the line in red, with a huge spike in illnesses, hospital ERs and clinics will be overwhelmed, and the death toll will be higher. By shutting everything down and minimizing our contact with each other, we flatten the curve. The crisis may last longer, but will not be too much for our health providers to handle.
That's where facts not fear comes in, and we live by those words. From now until this crisis subsides, every morning from 9-10am, Local 24 News will air a live, one-hour special broadcast committed to coronavirus, and, of course, extended coverage on all our newscasts. We want to prepare you, not scare you, and we'll get through this together.