MEMPHIS, Tenn — In tonight’s Ransom Note: Coronavirus, restaurants and the health department. 

Today, the Memphis Restaurant Association sent an open letter to the health department. 

Their requests seem reasonable. 

They’d like to a have one person at the health department who is their point of contact. They want more advance notice before health directives are issued. And they want a better understanding of the numbers health officials are using to issue those directives. 

You can’t blame restaurant for asking, “What gives?” 

A couple of weeks ago, a health department official told reporters restaurants were not the source of outbreaks. But rather family gatherings and extracurricular sports. 

So many restaurants are barely hanging on. 

They’re a huge part of our economy and they deserve better.

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