MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It is becoming increasingly clear that the Shelby County Health Department has to decide what it wants to be – a dispenser of information about the coronavirus pandemic, or an enforcer of the rules intended to keep us safe.
When it comes to information, the department has done a credible job. But as enforcers, health officials are falling short. And the huge event last weekend at the Love nightclub in Hickory Hill is a prime example.
Several hundred people showed up Saturday evening for the annual All Black Affair party held in a large tent next to the club. Many party goers were not wearing masks – and there was almost no social distancing.
Full disclosure here --- my son, who is a professional musician - was part of a live band that played at the event earlier that evening when the crowd was much smaller.
The big problem for the health department involved health inspectors who were on the scene when a large crowd assembled, but they did nothing to shut the event down. Now the party is being described as a super spreader of COVID-19.
Another problem is too many young people still are not taking this virus seriously. But this is a matter of life and death. And rules are rules, no matter how restrictive they are. The health department has done well providing information. Now it’s time to step it up on enforcement. And that’s my point of view.