Tennessee Governor Says He’ll Release Plans To Reopen The State On Friday

Gov. Bill Lee says he will release the details Friday morning of a statewide plan to reopen the economy in phases. It will allow many businesses outside of the state’s major cities to open as soon as Monday.

But Lee said the state will keep a close eye on the virus.

“We will follow data, and we will follow guidelines, and we will watch what’s happening across our state. Because the public’s safety is of utmost importance to us,” he said. “The safety of Tennesseans — the way we can do this going forward is with social distancing.”

The governor said restaurants will be allowed to open at 50% capacity on Monday, followed by retail stores on Wednesday.

From there, Lee said the state will monitor infection rates to see when it’s safe to start opening more businesses. But he didn’t lay out a specific timeline.

Even once the economy starts reopening, though, things won’t immediately go back to business as usual. Lee said the state will provide guidelines and offer support as industries start operating again. And he added that the state needs to be “logical and methodical” to honor the sacrifices Tennesseans have already made to flatten the curve.

“We have great challenges ahead of us, but we have made tremendous progress. We’re very encouraged with where we are,” Lee said. “Take heart, because we are moving forward. And the reason we are able to do that is because of what you have accomplished and you have done, and how you have done your part to stay apart.”