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New health directive will lift restrictions on buffets, dancing in Shelby County

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new health directive issued Wednesday for Shelby County will open buffets and allows dancing, with some restrictions.

Health Directive 20 It goes into effect at midnight on April 17. It also emphasizes that everyone 16 and older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, 18 and older for Moderna, and requires landlords to provide increased notice information to tenants about the availability of resources.


“We are pleased to be able to make these modifications to the Health Directive. We will carefully monitor viral activity over the next 30 days to determine if more preventive measures can be lifted,” said Interim Health Director La Sonya Hall in a statement. “If community transmission remains low, we will welcome the opportunity to lift even more restrictions and return to more normal activities.”

The text of Health Directive No. 20 is available here: www.shelbytnhealth.com/healthdirectives.

It also outlines that people who have been fully vaccinated can:

• Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with other fully vaccinated people of any age.
• Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with another household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness.
• Travel domestically without a pre- or post-travel test.
• Travel domestically without quarantining after travel.
• Travel internationally without a pre-travel test depending on destination.
• Travel internationally without quarantining after returning home

The health department said that if case numbers and other indicators remain stable over the next 30
days, the next health directive, which will be issued in May, will shift from a mandatory approach to a recommendation approach.