The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking simple, everyday steps to avoid catching or spreading respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. These include covering your cough or sneeze and thoroughly washing or sanitizing your hands. Call your doctor and stay home if you are sick. Get more information at CDC.gov/coronavirus or contact the Tennessee Department of Health coronavirus information line at 877-857-2945 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Shelby County now has two confirmed cases of the coronavirus, COVID-19, according to the county health department. 

This is a change from Wednesday, when Shelby County officials told the media that there was still one case in the county. 

On Thursday, Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said the department was still investigating the second Shelby County case — a person who returned from New Orleans around the same time as the county’s first confirmed case. 

The two traveled to Mardi Gras celebrations together, she said. The second person has been in quarantine since contacting the first case and is not hospitalized. The first person is doing well. 

Haushalter said the county believes the second case is the direct result of the first case. She encouraged people to use “social distancing,” particularly with people who are over 60 or who have underlying medical conditions. 

She advised people to avoid large church services, go to grocery stores at non-peak hours and see if any meetings in the next few weeks can be canceled or postponed.

Haushalter also said people who are ill should avoid public gatherings, and if they are sick enough to require medical attention, they should call ahead to their doctor or the hospital. 

She said the second individual was tested either Wednesday or Thursday and that the county received the test results Thursday. Haushalter said the health department could release the total number of people who have been tested for the coronavirus as early as Friday.

The state Health Department’s website now lists 18 confirmed cases in the state. Six are in Davidson County, one in Knox, two in Shelby, one in Sullivan and eight in Williamson.

Nine of the tests were conducted at the Tennessee State Public Health Laboratory, while the other nine were completed at commercial and private laboratories, according to the website.

As of Wednesday, a veteran was being monitored at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center for COVID-19. On Thursday, a spokesperson said the veteran was still being monitored. She would not say whether the veteran had been tested. 

Thursday morning, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency. His action came a day after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

“We believe there clearly will be more cases,” Lee said Thursday on the need for the emergency declaration, minutes before a flood of sporting events were canceled.

“This emergency declaration is an important next step in our efforts to treat and mitigate the impact of this disease,” the governor said.

The declaration will give Tennessee access to additional federal funding to combat the coronavirus. Before Thursday’s announcement, Tennessee was set to receive $10 million from the federal government to help with the state’s response.

As of Thursday, Tennessee had completed 88 coronavirus tests at its state lab. Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said as of Thursday morning, the state had the capacity to test at least 500 people, in addition to resources available through private labs. 

Shelby County’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed Sunday morning. That patient, described only as a non-elderly adult, had recently traveled out of state and is at Baptist Memorial Hospital in East Memphis. 

What you should do to avoid infection

Michael Threlkeld, with Threlked Infectious Disease, and other officials said that if you believe that you might have the virus, you should contact your doctor, the hospital or 911 emergency workers by phone ahead of time to give them a chance to take preparation steps. 

For instance, a patient who simply shows up at a doctor’s waiting room or hospital emergency room without warning could spread the virus to other patients. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking preventative measures to decrease the likelihood of infection: 

  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching the face with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, and throw the tissue away.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Tennessean reporter Joel Ebert contributed to this article. 

Katherine Burgess covers county government, religion and the suburbs. She can be reached at [email protected], 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

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