Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that he is extending his original Stay at Home Order until April 30 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. He also announced that he plans to begin a phased reboot of the state’s economy in May.
“We need Tennesseeans to go back to work,” Lee said during his daily virtual media briefing.
Lee said he doesn’t know what a reboot of the state’s economy looks like, but it must carry an appropriate balance, knowing that reopening the economy might present more cases of COVID-19. He said more about the plan to reboot the economy will be shared in the coming weeks.
Lee said a number of points have to be met, including the curve of the COVID-19 cases going in the right direction, the right number of hospital sites and personal protective equipment and broader testing across the state.
Lee also cited several days of single-digit progressive growth of cases as a reason pointing to the “clear path” of the future reboot of the economy.
Lee said that until a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, Tennesseeans must remain vigilant by continuing to practice social distancing and good hygiene.
“We can’t sacrifice the health and safety of our citizens, but we also can’t keep our economy shutdown,” Lee said.
Lee said there will have something to say about school closures Wednesday.