The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a pandemic. Reported illnesses range from very mild to severe, including death. Agencies anticipate widespread transmission will occur in the U.S. in coming months and recommend social distancing among other measures to slow the spread. Call your doctor and stay home if you are sick. Get more information at CDC.gov/coronavirus or contact the Tennessee Department of Health coronavirus information line at 877-857-2945 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT daily.

Shelby County's count of COVID-19 cases has reached 10, according to the Shelby County Health Department.

The results of six tests were reported to the Health Department Wednesday evening.

Now, the Health Department is saying that this is the "very beginning" of community transmission. One of the six is someone who does not appear to have a history of travel or exposure to someone with COVID-19, according to Alisa Haushalter, director of the Health Department.

"This is a pivotal moment in the epidemic," Haushalter said.

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Coronavirus in Memphis:Thursday updates, community response

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris declared a state of emergency during a Thursday afternoon news conference, pointing to community spread of the illness in the county as a reason for why it is "critical" to postpone large gatherings and begin long-term planning for how the county will care for patients who need serious care.

“This community has not had an epidemic of this magnitude or this serious for nearly 150 years when yellow fever struck and devastated this community," Harris said.

The declaration of emergency will allow the county to receive federal aid, streamline purchasing processes, make emergency appointments, request state assistance and establish emergency operating centers.

Haushalter said she hoped the beginning evidence of community spread would convince people to truly follow social distancing guidelines, avoid nonessential travel and avoid crowds.

"We all have a part to play," Haushalter said.

She said a portion of the U.S. national stockpile of medical equipment and perhaps testing equipment will be delivered to Memphis in the coming days. She was uncertain if it would include testing equipment.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the count stood at four in Shelby County. Two of those four cases had been reported by private laboratories.

The state of Tennessee currently has 154 cases, the Tennessee Department of Health said in a tweet Thursday afternoon.

Shelby County has seen an increase in positive cases of the novel coronavirus as more commercial laboratories have begun reporting the results of tests in recent days.

The Shelby County Health Department is urging people to take social distancing measures, including:

Avoiding handshakes

Canceling gatherings of 10 or more people

Staying at home whenever possible

Staying home from work and out of the public when sick

Avoiding unnecessary travel

Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

Using a tissue if coughing or sneezing, then throwing the tissue away and washing your hands

Sanitizing surfaces with anti-bacterial wipes or a diluted bleach solution

Conducting work meetings by phone or video chat

Spacing out tables and check out lines in businesses or restaurants

Providing curbside pickup or delivery options at restaurants

Encouraging and enabling employee telecommuting

Memphis City Council to hold virtual meeting

In a meeting notice sent to the public Thursday, the Memphis City Council said it would be holding a virtual meeting on Tuesday, March 24.

The notice cited Gov. Bill Lee's state of emergency as a reason for suspending in-person meetings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended against any event of more than 10 people.

Shelby Farms closes facilities, remains open

While Shelby Farms Park remains open to the public, it has closed most of its buildings, the park said on its website.

"The Visitor Center, Lake's Edge Gift Shop, Bike Rentals and Boat Rentals are closed until further notice. Visitor Center restrooms will remain open, but will only be accessible from exterior entrances," the website said.

Memphis Film Prize suspended

The Memphis Film Prize has suspended its 2020 season, in response to concerns over the coronavirus.

Intended to encourage and promote local filmmaking, the Film Prize is an annual initiative that pays a $10,000 cash prize to the team that creates the best short film, as decided by judges and filmgoers during an annual festival.

This year’s fifth Film Prize film fest was set for Aug. 7-9 at the Studio on the Square.

According to a Memphis Film Prize press notice released Thursday: “With travel greatly restricted and larger gatherings prohibited till mid-May and impacts predicted through the summer, the Prize does not feel that many of our filmmakers will be able to complete and submit their films” by the June 9 deadline.

Lowe's Memphis employee tests positive for coronavirus

Lowe's Home Improvement reported Thursday that an associate at its Memphis store on North Perkins Road tested positive for coronavirus, or COVID-19.

"We continue to work with the CDC and state health department on the confirmed COVID-19 case of a Lowe’s associate at our Memphis store at 585 North Perkins Road. The associate has been quarantined and is receiving care. This associate last worked on March 9 ..." the company said in a statement.

The company also said, "At the encouragement of local officials, the store remains open. The store has been extensively cleaned per CDC guidelines, and in an abundance of caution, associates who had worked closely with this individual over a period of time have been put on a paid leave."

Memphis purchases respirators

The City of Memphis has made two separate, significant purchases of respirators in the past week, according to city contract documents.

On Monday, Memphis purchased about $41,000 worth of 3M N-95 Particulate respirators, a type of respirator the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is effective in filtering out airborne toxins.

The Monday purchase came after the city purchased a further $10,000 worth of the same respirators on March 13. Home Depot advertised 20-packs on its website for $22.954. It was unclear how many respirators Memphis bought wholesale.

City spokesman Dan Springer said the respirators, which can be used for construction work, were for medical and health purposes.

Pink Palace to close

The Pink Palace Family of Museums announced in a statement on its website that it will close until the end of May.

This includes the Mallory Neely and Magevney Houses, Lichterman Nature Center and the Pink Palace facility on Central Avenue.

Katherine Burgess covers county government, religion and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.