LOCAL

Tennessee reopening: What we know about Gov. Bill Lee's order

Nashville Tennessean

Gov. Bill Lee announced last week he will not extend the safer-at-home order in Tennessee past Thursday, April 30. He also approved some businesses reopening around the state..

There are a lot of questions about the topic, and not a lot of answers at this moment. We've tried to break down some of the biggest questions first, but this page will be updated throughout the day and week as more information becomes available.

Newsletter: Stay safe and informed with updates on the spread of the coronavirus

REOPENING TENNESSEE:State's gyms, fitness centers to open Friday, excluding state's largest urban areas

REOPENING TENNESSEE:Lee extends closure of bars, salons, limits gatherings in 89 of 95 TN counties

When is Tennessee reopening? 

It depends on the area. 

For 89 of Tennessee's counties, certain businesses reopened on Monday, April 27.

Davidson, Shelby, Madison, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan counties all operate their own health departments and will plan their own reopen strategies. Lee's office said it would work with the counties.

Earlier this month, the White House issued guidelines on criteria for easing social distancing restrictions and reopening parts of the economy in phases. Each phase requires a 14-day period of "downward trajectory" in COVID-19 cases. President Donald Trump said that governors would decide when to lift those restrictions in their states.

Dr. Alisa Haushalter, director of the Shelby County Health Department, told The Commercial appeal last week that the decreases must also include people reporting to emergency rooms with flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms. 

When will businesses reopen

Some businesses reopened this week under Lee's approval.

Restaurants in the state began operating dine-in service at half capacity on Monday, April 27 in most counties, and retail stores followed suit on Wednesday, April 29.

After issuing an executive order extending the closures of bars and close-contact businesses through the end of May, the governor on Wednesday told lawmakers he planned to reopen salons and barber shops May 6.

Bars

Smaller counties: Reopening bars and live music not permitted through at least late May. Although, Lee said the anticipated development of business guidelines may allow for reopening them safely, which could cause his executive order to be amended. 

Larger counties: Not yet permitted to reopen.

Retail

Smaller counties: Retail shops began to open Wednesday. Under Lee's order they must operate at 50% capacity inside their stores among other guidelines.

Larger counties: Not yet permitted to reopen.

Gyms

Smaller counties: Gyms and fitness centers have the green light to reopen their doors on Friday. The state recommends gyms limit capacity to 50% and restrict access to keep people 6 feet apart among other suggestions.

Larger counties: Not yet permitted to reopen.

Restaurants

Smaller counties: Resumed dine-in service on Monday, April 27 with guideline including limiting capacity to 50%.

Larger counties: Not yet permitted to reopen.

Salons and other 'personal care businesses'

Smaller counties: Gov. Lee told lawmakers that salons and barber shops would be allowed to reopen on May 6 on Wednesday, a day after he signed his most recent executive order extending some closures through the end of the month.

Previously, Lee said the anticipated development of business guidelines may allow for reopening additional businesses safely, which could cause his executive order to be amended. 

It's unclear at this time whether spas, tattoo shops, tanning salons and other close-contact businesses besides salons and barber shops will be permitted to open next week.

Larger counties: Not yet permitted to reopen. In Nashville, when they open, these rules have been established for them by the city: Appointments only; No walk-ins allowed; and maximum capacity of 10 people inside at a time.

Does this mean the end of social distancing?

No, and don't plan on that changing any time soon.

"We plan to keep the same social distancing guidelines in place even beyond and into the next few weeks," Lee said when asked about whether large gatherings will be allowed to resume around the state.

When will Nashville and other cities reopen?

Last week, officials in Jackson and Madison County released a phased plan to reopen businesses. Nashville released their own plan on Thursday. Other counties and municipalities released their own phased-in plans.

The phases look something like this:

  • Phase one: Commercial and retails operate at half capacity, screen employees, clean and follow strict hygiene guidelines. Bars and live music would not be allowed.
  • Phase two: Salons and tattoo businesses can open, gatherings of 50 people or fewer. Playgrounds and baseball parks can reopen. Restaurants operate at 3/4 capacity.
  • Phase three: Elective inpatient and outpatient procedures can resume, restaurants and businesses can operate at full capacity. Bars can open at half capacity, live music allowed. Gyms can reopen. Gatherings of 100 or fewer people allowed. Non-residential K-12 schools open.
  • Phase four: Working from home will be optional. Phase coverings will be optional. All bars and entertainment venues can operate at full capacity. Sporting arenas and gatherings of more than 100 people can resume.

Health officials will constantly be determining when it will be safe to reopen by looking at key benchmarks: a decline in cases over a 14-day period, adequate testing and PPE capacity in the region, and a robust public health infrastructure to conduct contact tracing cases.

They have stressed that loosening restrictions comes with a very real possibility of tightening them again if a spike in cases is detected. If phase one is successful, but an outbreak starts during phase two, the city would revert back to phase one.

NASHVILLE:Here's Nashville's plan to reopen amid coronavirus pandemic

JACKSON:Here's what Jackson, Madison County's plan is to reopen the economy post-coronavirus

MEMPHIS:Shelby County reveals economic reopening plan

KNOX COUNTY:Mayor Glenn Jacobs puts out plan to reopen economy

What are the reopening guidelines?

According to the state's plan, restaurants are asked to require employees to wear gloves and masks, use disposable menus, have a maximum of 6 people per table, and limit overall occupancy to 50 percent capacity.

Live music will not be allowed and bar areas will remained closed.

The plan also encourages restaurants to screen customers with "basic questions" about COVID-19 symptoms. 

Retail businesses are encouraged to:

  • create one-way aisles and traffic patterns for social distancing;
  • prohibit reusable bags;
  • dedicate certain operating hours for elderly, medically vulnerable and health care workers;
  • designated separate entrance and exits;
  • use plastic shields or barriers at checkout counters;
  • adjust store hours for cleaning; and 
  • halt sampling of food and personal hygiene products.

All customers are encouraged to wear face coverings.

Who will enforce guidelines when businesses reopen?

Lee said at a news conference earlier this month that it will be up to the communities to enforce this. The state will not.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Natalie Neysa Alund, Natalie Allison, Joel Ebert and Jon Garcia of The Tennessean and Katherine Burgess of The Commercial Appeal contributed to this report.