Cloud Nine Higher

Good news: Public health order number 8 issued by Michael C. Caldwell, MD, Metro Nashville Director of Health, on Sunday, June 28, has been interpreted not to apply when an individual is working out in a gym indoors. Since Dr. Caldwell was presented with a 48 hour deadline to prepare this order, all of which fell within a weekend, I can certainly understand if he left anything out. This order requires facial coverings in most public places in Davidson County. I have published it on the Cloud Nine Higher  Facebook page. "Heavy physical exertion" and "outdoor ... recreation" would appear to be the closest exceptions written into the plan. It surprises me that, with all of the focus on health around the globe, gyms seem to be forced to close in some areas for prolonged periods of time. Gyms and fitness are crucial to the overall health of our population. Thankfully, Nashville has created a way for them to be open safely during the pandemic. And I know from personal exp...

So the people of Metro Nashville did not quite have COVID-19 under control as we thought we did. In short, the cases are up higher than ever. The transmission rate is 1.1, and we need for it to be under 1.0. It appears that our hospitals will not be overwhelmed. But the situation is getting worse and not better. Tennessee had its largest number of COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 26. The number lowered on Saturday, June 27. The governor hasn't said much of anything. Dr. Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, was quoted by The Tennessean  as stating that hospitals are able to handle the numbers of sick people being admitted. But unless hospitals are truly overwhelmed, it could be tough to go back on lockdown and return to "safer at home" status. We really can't afford it. Mayor John Cooper of Metro Nashville (pictured here last September 28 at his inauguration) has the local health department working on a public health order to require masks in...

What a difference a day makes ... Not to mention about 90 days in the year 2020. The last time I actually wrote a blog post, it was early March. We were contemplating a "spring forward" one hour and trying to help our Nashville neighbors through the storm that hit our city in the wee hours of March 3. Since then, our lives have been turned upside down along with the sense of normalcy in our world. The novel coronavirus came into our world in a week that had a Friday the 13th in it, and a mass shutdown of society followed it. Some said it would be a "new normal" and that the lives we know would change forever. Many lost all sense of purpose and drive in their lives. Some were afraid to leave their homes. Some were afraid to even shake hands with anyone. "Social distancing" has now become a buzzword and is a part of our lives for the immediate foreseeable future. We learned to appreciate and love healthcare workers while sometimes disagreeing with the length...