MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Health Department provided an update on vaccinations and warned they will be taking necessary action if businesses are found to be in violation of the health directive on New Year’s Eve.
Across America, frustration is mounting over a slow roll out of the coronavirus vaccine. The Trump administration pledged 20 million doses of the vaccine by year’s end. So far, fewer than three million shots have been given out and just over million doses have been shipped.
But the Shelby County Health Department director says the vaccine distribution is on pace in Memphis.
“Our experience thus far has not been a slow uptake,” said Dr. Alisa Haushalter.
According to health officials, more than 3,700 people have been vaccinated by the Shelby County Health Department as of Thursday. Health care systems are also getting their employees, as well as other eligible individuals in that 1A1 category vaccinated.
But others not on the front line have also been showing up.
“What we do know happened is that individuals got on social media and began to say that pods were open when in fact they were not and then we began to turn people away,” Haushalter said.
The shots will be made available to those in the funeral service industry beginning on Thursday.
Here is a list of all the priority groups who are eligible for vaccination as of Thursday:
- Funeral/mortuary workers with direct contact with decedents
- First responders with direct public exposure including EMS, law enforcement, and fire fighters
- Staff working at COVID-19 mass testing sites
- Staff and residents of long-term care facilities, residential homes for the aged and staff and residents of assisted living centers who have direct contact with residents or contact with potentially infectious materials
- Staff of other congregate care facilities such as homes for the intellectually or developmentally disabled, detention centers, Staff of Department of Children’s Services residential facilities, rehabilitation hospitals and psychiatric hospitals who have direct patient contact or contact with potentially infectious materials
- Home health care staff with direct patient contact
- Staff and residents of long-term care facilities, residential homes for the aged and staff and residents of assisted living centers who have direct contact with residents or contact with potentially infectious materials
- Individuals > 18 years or older who cannot live independently due to serious chronic medical condition or intellectual or developmental disability
- Providers of K-12 or university student health services who have direct patient contact or contact with potentially infectious materials
These groups will continue to be the main focus of vaccination efforts for approximately the next two weeks. They asked for the public’s patience as they say it will take some time to get everyone vaccinated simply due to the large number of people in these categories.
“I realize there’s urgency and interest for everybody to get the vaccine, but please give the health department time to get to 1A1,” said City of Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen. “There 50,000 health care workers in this community and 6,000 first responders and many, many people in congregate settings.”
Health officials anticipate opening up vaccination slots to those in the 1A2 category as well as those over 75 years of age shortly after the new year.
When asked about the variant form of COVID-19, Haushalter said health officials have not seen it here as of Thursday. They said if they do detect it in Mid-South they will issue a public notice as the strain will spread more quickly.
New Year’s Eve warning
When it comes to the virus, people are being urged to stay home.
“The next 22 days we are asking that you stay home as much as possible and that you avoid large gatherings and large crowds and, if possible, we are asking employers to let employees work in remote areas at home,” Shelby County Health Officer Bruce Randolph said.
Health officials also warned business that they will be out making sure everyone is in compliance with the Shelby County health directives on New Year’s Eve.
Randolph said health officials have been made aware of advertised events scheduled for Thursday night and reminded everyone that restaurants and businesses are not allowed to remain open past 10 p.m.
Any event which is deemed unsafe will be shut down and any business found to be open past 10 p.m. will be closed immediately.
“If we enter into a place we perceive as being an imminent threat to the health directive, people grossly violating the health directive, not wearing a mask or social distanced, then we have the authority and will exercise it and close that event,” Randolph said.
Individuals who decide to go out and hang out in crowds shoud consider themselves infected, health officials said. Those individuals should get tested as soon as possible and remain quarantined until the test results come back. Avoid those who are vulnerable.
The Shelby County Health Department reported 67,198 cases Thursday morning. The health department reported 761 new cases in the last 24 hours.
There have been 891 deaths, an increase of 14 deaths in the last 24 hours. The deaths account for 1.3% of all cases in Shelby County. The average age of all those who have died in Shelby County is 74.
While the elderly are most likely to die, health officials say people between 20 and 50 years of age are most likely to get the virus and spread it.
The number of cases considered recovered is 59,815, or 89.0% There are 6,492 active cases, which accounts for 9.7%.
Usage of local Acute Care and ICU beds was 88% and 95% respectively as of Wednesday. There are 573 COVID patients in the hospital. At this rate hospitals could be caring for 700 patients by the second week of January.
There is also concern regarding hospital staffing especially with hospitals having medical staff in isolation and quarantine.