MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Here is the simple truth. Tennessee is struggling mightily to get a handle on the coronavirus pandemic. I hesitate to say we are outright losing the battle. But we certainly are not winning.
Over the last several days, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been rising at an alarming rate. 405 new cases were reported on Sunday alone. And we are at 12,000 total cases in Shelby County since March. And total deaths are right at 200.
That is far from having this killer virus under control, despite the gaslighting coming from the White House. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who was slow to respond early on, now sees that the virus is spreading to smaller and rural counties. And he is giving those counties the green light to implement mask requirements. Shelby County’s health department finally imposed that mandate last week – days after Memphis leaders made masks mandatory.
But here’s the problem. We’ve heard too many mixed messages about the seriousness of the virus and what to do to protect ourselves. For the most part, we have put the economy and our longing to socialize – ahead of medical science. And now we are paying for it, with confirmed cases piling up and hospital beds filling up by the day.
It is imperative that we wear masks in public and practice social distancing. Because this is a fight we simply cannot afford to lose. And that’s my point of view.