Head of the Shelby County Health Department said Wednesday that employers and individuals should begin thinking about taking extra precautions in light of the coronavirus being declared a pandemic.
Alisa Haushalter, director of the health department, said there are no new cases in Shelby County and that the county is still in the containment phase of managing the outbreak, but “at some point we may move into mitigation, which is broader community strategies.”
“When we know that there is increased transmission, either worldwide, or in this case Middle Tennessee, we have to have heightened awareness,” Haushalter said at a Wednesday press conference.
As of Wednesday there are nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Tennessee: one case each in Shelby and Sullivan counties, two in Davidson County, and four in Williamson County.
There are more than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, which have resulted in 29 deaths, according to the latest numbers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Haushalter said the World Health Organization’s declaring COVID-19 a pandemic is important because “that means there is significant transmission worldwide.”
At this point, Haushalter recommends that workplaces and organizations do the following:
• Assess their continuity of operations plan and determine how they would operate if they had a significant number of team members out
• Look at their sick leave policies and ensure they are able to support individuals staying at home if they are ill
• Create an environment where people don’t come to work coughing and running a fever so that if people are sick they are not spreading it in the work environment
For individuals, Haushalter said “it’s critical now that they begin to look very closely at travel and make prudent decisions to avoid places where there is active transmission of the disease.”
Seniors and those who have chronic illnesses should be “particularly aware of travel” and should consider keeping a “social distance” and avoiding large crowds.
Haulshalter also reiterated the importance of hand washing for at least 20 second with soap and water, avoiding touching the face, and staying home if you are sick with any respiratory symptoms or running a fever.
Haulshalter advised that people who think they might have the coronavirus should call ahead before visiting a health care provider.
The county is convening a task force to ensure that the social needs of quarantined families are being met. County officials are also working with the local health care community to make sure uninsured individuals have access to appropriate and adequate treatment, Haulshalter said.
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As of Wednesday, approximately 80 people who came into contact with the Shelby County patient have been quarantined.
“I feel confident that we have an exhaustive list of contacts,” Haushalter said. “Our staff has interviewed all of those individuals and determined what risk category they fit in and taken appropriate action to make sure they are either self-monitoring or quarantined.”
Joris Ray, superintendent of Shelby County Schools also spoke at Wednesday’s press conference. Ray is sticking to the decision to keep schools open, until advised otherwise by the health department.
“We want to consult with the experts,” Ray said. “I don’t want to make an isolated decision. Because at the end of the day, students’ education is so important. And when you close a school, sometimes our students don’t get a chance to eat. You know, breakfast and lunch is provided. And a day without education, is a day that our students won’t learn to read.”
Check the health department’s webpage dedicated to COVID-19 for more information. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center also has a page dedicated to updated COVID-19 information.
Shelby County officials have also launched their own portal with up-to-date, essential information about the virus.
See a list of precautionary measures places around town are taking here.
