Expert: Holiday poses virus risk
Health official urges caution for Memorial Day
One of Shelby County’s top health officials, Dr. Bruce Randolph, pleaded with local residents on Thursday to avoid COVID-19 infection during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
“I understand that you have spring fever and you want to be out and enjoy friends,” he said. “Do so, but do so in a healthy and safe manner.
“Wear your face covering. Practice the safe distancing. Because what we do this weekend will have an effect on what we do later,” Randolph, Shelby County health officer, said during the regular coronavirus news briefing.
He noted that the respiratory virus can spread more easily in indoor spaces where air recirculates. He suggested people should meet outside instead.
Memorial Day is Monday. The federal holiday commemorates people who died in the nation’s wars. It’s a common time for placing flags on graves and for family gatherings, and it’s the unofficial start of the summer season.
Holiday celebrations have contributed to outbreaks of the new coronavirus in various spots around the globe. In China, where the virus originated, travel for celebration of the Lunar New Year helped spread the virus in its early stages, The New York Times reported. The Lunar New Year was Jan. 25, and it’s typically celebrated as a season, with various events for many days.
Experts have also pointed to Mardi Gras celebrations early this year as a major factor contributing to rapid spread of the virus in New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana. Mardi Gras was Feb. 25, and it was preceded by numerous parades, parties and other events in the weeks leading up to that date.
In Memphis, the first two confirmed COVID-19 cases were in people who had traveled to Mardi Gras together.
In response to a question from a reporter, Randolph said people considering summer travel should also take precautions.
“If you are at risk because you have some underlying chronic disease, now is not the time to be traveling,” he said.
And he reminded people that missteps this weekend could add to deaths later. “Again, do the right thing. Respect others. Wear your facial covering and separate. Let’s get through this. Let’s have a good Memorial weekend without having to add to folk that we end up remembering and memorializing.”
Investigative reporter Daniel Connolly welcomes tips and comments from the public. Reach him at 529-5296, daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com, or on Twitter at @danielconnolly.