Physicians on the area’s COVID-19 task force said the increase in hospitalizations was the main reason the county did not move to phase three of reopening as intended Monday.
The decision also came amid concern over how the virus is spreading, with evidence it is being passed more in the community and less in clusters like nursing homes.
Monday, Shelby County logged 256 cases of COVID-19, the largest day-to-day increase since the pandemic started. That was followed by an additional 198 case increase on Tuesday.