MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County government and city officials are keeping a close eye on the progression of the coronavirus and the possibility of an outbreak in the county.
Local health officials say they are fully prepared for an outbreak.
County officials say they are in constant communication with state and federal agencies for ways to stay ahead of a potential outbreak. They say it’s likely there could be a coronavirus case in the area in the future but, it’s a matter of how they react.
“We’re going to continue to expand outreach so that people can get good information, credible information about exposure and the risk of exposure and so forth,” Mayor Lee Harris said.
Shelby County government officials say they are putting more resources toward learning more about the deadly novel coronavirus.
The city of Memphis says they have ordered that all public facilities be disinfected immediately and routinely.
They even encouraged all employees who are sick to stay at home, avoid contact with other and wash their hands often.
For any big events, they’ve asked that organizers provide supplies like soap and hand sanitizer.
Health officials say, as of right now, there are no confirmed cases in the Mid-South area.
However, if there were a case, not only would that person be quarantined but everyone who was in contact with that person, including emergency services and hospital staff, would be quarantined.
Alisa Haushalter, the Shelby County Health Department director, said new information on the coronavirus is developing each day, but through communication with local hospitals, medical partners, and schools, they feel confident in their ability to contain a possible outbreak.
“We anticipate if there is a case, we’re going to know about it very quickly and we’re going to take action very quickly,” she said.
Health officials also want to remind everyone that we are still in the middle of flu season. They say they’ve had several people come in thinking they had the coronavirus when it was actually just the flu, so they want to encourage everyone to make sure they’re washing their hands and keeping all surfaces clean.
