I found an article related to a study Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian mentioned last week: A study shows that if 80% of Americans wore a mask or face (nose/mouth) covering then they went out in public, COVID-19 infections could fall to one twelfth – 8.25% – of what their number would be in a society in which no one wears a mask.
Therefore, I have made the decision that I am going to wear a face mask every time I go out in public from now on. This includes restaurants and bars which I have been visiting since we entered Phase 1 of Back-to-Business, places I hadn’t previously been wearing a mask. Yes, it’ll be a minor inconvenience to pull the mask down and then back up every time I take a bite or a sip, but I’ll get used to it.
I also have decided to email the City Council this week and express my support for the proposed ordinance to require face coverings in public, to have its second reading next Tuesday, the 19th. I do agree there are issues with availability, and obtaining a mask/enforcement needs to be done in such a way that avoids creating undue individual financial hardship. I will mention these concerns in my email.
To summarize, I have decided to wear a mask for the foreseeable future, for three reasons:
- If at some point I come down with COVID-19 and symptoms don’t develop for a week or longer, I want to minimize the chance that I make a friend sick. Or a neighbor. Or the cashier ringing up my food.
- I’ll be a setting a good example – if the people around me see me with a mask on, they’re slightly more likely to be influenced to put one on themselves.
- As City Council member Dr. Jeff Warren, author of the ordinance points out, wearing face coverings could well be our best move if we don’t want to fall backward under the Back-to-Business plan, going into a second house arrest.
What I’m not going to do is get preachy and attack people on social media who come to a different conclusion than I do. It accomplishes nothing to turn on the CAPS LOCK key and @ someone on Twitter to tell them they’re selfish for going to lunch at Olive Garden with an uncovered face. If you like the reasoning I’ve laid out here, I invite you do join me in my decision to wear a mask. If you disagree, you do you and it’s all good.
Let’s get on to the news. From Tamp & Tap:
Open 5/11 from 8am to 2pm.Online/phone/walk-in (to-go) only. No table seating for a bit. If you’ve ordered online, you can call us at (901) 207-1053 and we will bring your order out to you.We should have most menu items available but bear with us if your favorite sandwich/salad/GnG item has yet to recover from COVID-19. Downtown is still pretty quiet and we’re re-opening softly to gauge demand. Regarding drinks – i can’t think of any of our menu items that we won’t be able to prepare – Fire away!We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you all again!
There’s also news from Cordelia’s Market. Beginning today they will offer breakfast from 8:00 to 10:30 AM and lunches from their hot bar and sandwich menu 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. All cafe orders will be to-go and they will be serving Monday-Friday. The store also has new hours:
- Monday* 7 AM-9 PM
- Tuesday 11 AM-9 PM
- Wednesday* 7 AM-9 PM
- Thursday* 7 AM-9 PM
- Friday 11 AM-9 PM
- Saturday 9 AM-9 PM
- Sunday 9 AM-9 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday the 7 AM-8 AM hour is limited to shopping by at-risk individuals, including seniors, expecting mothers, and those with health conditions that make them at risk for COVID-19.
Why didn’t I know that a Cinnamon Toast Crunch version of Rice Krispies marshmallow treats exists while we were all under house arrest for a month and a half? I almost always keep a box of the stuff at home.
The noon press conferences by city/county leaders and the health department should be must-see TV this week, as COVID-19 case numbers begin to reflect those contracted after Phase 1 of the Back-to-Business Framework went into effect. WMC Action News 5 and WREG both carry live streams on their websites, as does The Daily Memphian on its coronavirus live blog.
The Daily Memphian has an article about the street racing that has increased in Downtown and other neighborhoods during the pandemic.
The National Guard will salute medical professionals with a flyover tomorrow afternoon. Look to the skies at approximately 2:13 PM.
ESPN’s Woj reported that the most likely option for the NBA is to finish out the rest of the season and hold the playoffs in one or two locations, possibly Las Vegas and Orlando, without fans. That would mean no more home games. Grizzly Bear Blues takes a look at the implications on the loss of revenue on the salary cap next season and beyond, and how it could affect Memphis offseason moves.
That’s it for now. Back later today or tomorrow with more.