On a path to check gun violence, unity walkers take next steps. Lifestyle & Culture, Page 5
‘Guiding light’ Vernon Jordan dies at 85. Obits, Page 8
March 4 - 10, 2021
VOL. 70, No. 9
www.tsdmemphis.com
‘Return Stronger’ or wait?
$1.00
COVID-19 UPDATE
How parents weighed the choices
Shelby County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Bruce Randolph assured county residents that city and county officials are continuing to work together for the best outcomes. (Screen capture)
Where we stand 12-months later COVID-19 numbers low; next level vaccinations on Mar. 8 by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
“We have been enjoying virtual learning at home. I just love being there with my children. They love it as well. They are more focused, they aren’t being bullied, and I believe they are learning more.” — Ernestine Wilkins by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
The “Return Stronger” rollout of in-person learning at Shelby County Schools has not convinced thousands of parents to send their children back into the classroom. Monday (March 1) was the designated first day of Shelby County Schools’ return to physical class learning following a yearlong absence due to the global coronavirus pandemic. SCS officials said nearly 19,000 students at elementary and K-8 schools returned to inschool learning. Their data showed 29,000 of the 88,000 students will be in person.
“Children need to be sociable. He (Jermier) talked about his friends every day. He’s an only child, so classmates are important to him. ... The isolation was getting to him. I could tell. He was so happy returning to school on Monday.” — Tiphne Hurd
A full-scale virtual format was implemented at the onset of the 2020-21 school year. SCS, one of the largest public-school systems in the state, resisted calls for in-person learning weeks after other systems began making the transition. A gradual return brought students in grades K-5 back after this week. Students in grades 6-12 will return on Monday (March 8). Many, however, opted out of the in-person format. “We have been enjoying virtual learning at home,” said Ernestine Wilkins, a grandmother raising two school-age children. “I just love being there with my children. They love it as well. They are more focused, they aren’t being bullied, and I believe they
are learning more.” Wilkins has been raising Sasha Anderson, 12, and Alexander Austin, 9, “since they came home from the hospital.” Both attend Cromwell Elementary School. Sasha is in sixth grade and Alexander is a fourth grader. “In school, they were distracted by their school mates,” said Wilkins. “Alexander, especially, was losing focus. There are fewer distractions. I just set them up at the kitchen table, or the dining room table, and they get online for school. “They miss their friends, but I remind them that playing in the classroom with them
SEE SCHOOL ON PAGE 2
Gov. Lee talks virus, vaccines, health disparities and more by Dena Owens
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Shelby County’s stumbles with vaccine distribution, Tennessee’s pandemic recovery and the state’s plan for improving African-American health disparities exposed during the ongoing public health emergency punctuated Gov. Bill Lee’s exchange with the Tennessee Press Association this week.
Lee has committed $200 million to counties and municipalities for pandemic relief expenditures and is pushing for another $200 million for broadband expansion in every Tennessee community. The investments – intended to offset impacts of COVID-19 – are part of the state’s $41.8 billion Fiscal Year 2022 budget. As of March 2, 1.4 million Tennesseans have been vaccinated, reducing the numbers of infections and hospi-
talization across the state. More than 70 percent of vaccines distributed have been administered. Major metropolitan areas have lifted some restrictions and nursing homes have reopened with no visitation restrictions. All Tennessee nursing home residents have been vaccinated and shots for all long-term care residents are near completion. “It’s been a very tragic and difficult year for many,” said Lee. “A lot of loss of life, a lot of loss of jobs – a
lot of loss of income and savings, a lot of struggle and a lot of difficulty – we will not and cannot forget that. … “What we can do is take that and use it to inspire us to move forward in powerful ways.” Last week, Shelby County’s vaccine distribution was taken over by the Tennessee Health Department (THD) in partnership with the City of Memphis. Distribution was previous-
SEE LEE ON PAGE 2
The reality of the Memphis area’s now yearlong survival bout with the pandemic-causing COVID-19 virus pierced a joint task force briefing on Tuesday. Soberingly, the coronavirus has killed 1500 Shelby Countians as of the Shelby County Health Department’s Wednesday report. The noting of the milestone was woven into a COVID-19 Joint Task Force update, where the elephant in the room was last week’s resignation of Alisa Haushalter as Health Department director. Tuesday’s briefing detailed robust vaccination numbers and a strong push toward broadening the numbers and sites for future immunization efforts. “We are coming up on the oneyear mark when that very first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Shelby County,” said David Sweat, deputy director of the Shelby County Health Department. “To date, the total number of coronavirus cases in Shelby County total 88,153. There have been 1,498 deaths.” Sweat said both new daily cases and the number of vaccines being administered are moving in the right direction. “There were 42 new cases today,” said Sweat. “There have been 140,432 vaccine doses administered: 97,881 first-shots and 42,551 fully vaccinated individuals who have received both their shots. The city of Memphis took over vaccine management on Tuesday, Mar. 23, but there was no interruption of service.” Fallout from state and federal investigations into misplaced, stolen, or expired vaccines led to Haushal-
SEE COVID ON PAGE 2