Memphis Mayor extends safer at home order to May 5

By Daphne J. Thomas and Sherman Greer

This week City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland extended the city’s safer at home order to May 5. In addition, Memphis continues to operate under a state of emergency that requires Memphis residents to stay at home and only venture out to engage in essential activities. The declaration also requires non-essential businesses to remain closed, including entertainment and recreation establishments.

Southwest locations remain closed until further notice and all operations are online. Summer classes will be online as college officials continue to monitor the pandemic and plan accordingly. College officials are meeting with city, county and state COVID-19 task force officials several times a week to ensure the College’s operations are aligned with local, regional and national policies, procedures and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national health agency guidelines.

The White House recently released guidelines for reopening the nation that recommend states and local municipalities reopen after 14 days of documented decreases in COVID-19 cases. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced he will allow the state’s stay at home order to expire April 30 across the state, with the exception of six counties. Shelby County is one of the six counties excluded from the order expiration.  Shelby County and the other five counties excluded will formulate separate reopening strategies.