Congressman Cohen Requests Mississippi and Arkansas Governors to Issue Mandatory Shelter-in-Place Orders
Concern that Memphis medical facilities will become overwhelmed
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to the Governors of Mississippi and Arkansas, whose state lines are also City of Memphis city limits, urging them to issue mandatory shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic already evident throughout the Mid-South and prevent a deluge of cases overwhelming Memphis medical facilities.
The letter reads in part:
"I write today to urgently request you issue mandatory shelter-in-place orders for your state and prohibit gatherings of more than ten people. I am proud to represent the Ninth District of Tennessee that connects our three states, but I fear that, without these preventative measures, it will become a hub of illness that will quickly overcome Memphis's health care facilities.
"Memphis is home to several state-of-the-art hospitals including Regional One Medical Center, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Methodist University and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Without shelter-in-place orders, this virus will continue to spread and these facilities will quickly become overwhelmed. Shelter-in-place orders are the most effective preventative tool we have at our disposal, and they must be utilized to their fullest extent."
See the entire letter here.
The Mayors of Memphis and Shelby County ordered non-essential workers to stay home in orders that took effect last Tuesday, March 24.