Shelby County is reviving restrictions on some businesses as the coronavirus spreads at unprecedented levels. New regulations, taking effect Wednesday night, will shutter bars and require restaurants to close by 10 p.m.
Food can still be served at bar seating areas in restaurants, under the new health directive.
Last week, the Shelby County Health Department issued a countywide mask requirement for people in public places as new cases rose and hospital beds filled. Officials now say further action is needed because residents aren’t heeding guidelines for social distancing and facial coverings.
Health department director Dr. Alisa Haushalter wants to see fewer options for people to get out and socialize in environments with increased risk of tranmission.
“You really cannot drink at a bar if you have a mask on, you have to take it off. And then when you take it off, you tend to be talking with other people,” she said.
She didn’t rule out further restrictions.
“The next thing that we would need to consider is no in-room dining,” she said, adding that gyms are also being considered for reduced occupancy or closure.
Federal experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House were called in last week to offer guidance on ways to curb the local outbreak. Their full findings will be reported Wednesday, Haushalter said.
The Health Department is falling behind in contact tracing—the process of notifying and quarantining potentially infected individuals. A recent round of new hires at the department will start later this month to expand the department’s capacity to keep up.