Shelby County Health Department sees covid cases rise ahead of summer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) -Shelby County health officials are announcing once again Covid-19 cases are on the rise, reporting nearly 300 new cases a day.

Just a little over a month ago after the Shelby County Health Department reported zero new Covid-19 cases within a 24-hour window the department is now dealing with a seven-day rolling average of 290 cases.

“We do have a significant number of people in the county who either have not taken advantage of getting vaccinated at all or are overdue for a booster and now is the time to do it,” said Michele Taylor Director of the Shelby County Health Department.

In fact, Methodist Le Bonheur Health Care said the system’s hospitals are treating 39 covid patients, four of those in I.C.U. with 13 being admitted to the hospital overnight Monday.

“BA-2 and the BA-2 sub-variant are the main strands that are circulating right now and these two variants are more infectious,” said Infection Preventionist Dr. Shirin Mazumder with Methodist Le Bonheur Health Care System.

With the Memorial Day holiday weekend around the corner and many plans on getting together, Dr. Mazumder hopes the community does its part to stay safe.

“We advise people to stay up-to-date on their vaccines and their boosters to prevent the hospital system from becoming overwhelmed,” said Dr. Mazumder.

Currently, 700,000 people in Shelby County are reported vaccinated.

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