MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County health officials are out this holiday weekend looking for businesses that might be violating the latest health regulations.
So far, things seem to be off to a good start after what appears to have been a good New Year’s Eve. Health officials say inspectors visited 16 businesses but didn’t find any violations of the latest health directive.
That means a number of bars and restaurants were following the rules like closing by 10 p.m., reducing indoor seating to 25% capacity and limiting the number of people who can sit together at one table.
The encouraging results are music to the ears of county commissioner Van Turner. He and other commissioners recently passed an ordinance giving health officials the power to fine businesses that break the rules. The fines are up to $50 per violation.
“Before the ordinance the health department could just come in and shut a business down, and now there’s a warning, there’s a fine and then there’s a shut down,” Turner said, “We were trying to make sure people were being safe.”
WREG was out on Beale Street Thursday night. We didn’t see any inspectors and there weren’t many people but the few customers who were out told us bars and restaurants were enforcing the rules.
Dr. Manoj Jain is a member of the county’s COVID-19 task force.
“I’m really happy to see that there were no violations,” he said, “This will definitely make an impact over the next two weeks.”
He hopes there won’t be a surge in cases like we saw after Thanksgiving.
“That would be difficult and maybe disastrous for our hospitals,” Dr. Jain said.
