Governor Lee Issues Guidelines For Restaurants and Retail Stores To Reopen Early Next Week

April 24, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Gov. Bill Lee announced guidelines Friday allowing restaurants and retail businesses to reopen later next week. Beauty shops, barbers, tattoo parlors and gyms are to remain closed until further notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court extended its closure of state courts. Based on an order released Friday morning, in-person court continues to be closed until May 31, and no jury trials are to be held until July 3.

Lee said this is the first step in a phased reopening of the state’s economy, which entails rebooting industries as they are safe to pursue in 89 of the state’s 95 counties. The state is working with Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Sullivan on plans to reopen businesses in those counties. Lee added that many Tennesseans are facing not just potential sickness but crippling financial hardship, particularly in the service industries.

Tennessee restaurants will be able to reopen Monday at 50 percent occupancy. Additionally, Tennessee retailers may reopen on Wednesday at 50 percent occupancy. The state recommends that employees in both industries wear cloth face coverings and that business owners follow federal guidelines for hygiene and workplace sanitation standards related to the pandemic.

(CLICK LINK BELOW TO READ THE GUIDELINES)

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/governorsoffice-documents/covid-19-assets/ERG_Guidelines_Deck.pdf

“Like the rest of the country, Tennessee has taken an unprecedented economic hit with families and small businesses feeling the most pain,” Lee said. “We must stay vigilant as a state, continue to practice social distancing, and engage in best practices at our businesses so that we can stay open.”

Lee’s administration assembled the Tennessee Economic Recovery Group, pulling together the state’s departments of tourism, economic development, and revenue, members of the Tennessee General Assembly, and business leaders to safely reboot Tennessee’s economy. The group is chaired by Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell.

Ezell said the state’s guidelines for restaurants and retail stores were developed in cooperation with business leaders in both sectors, mayors from across the state, and members of the legislature and health experts, as well as Unified Command which includes the Tennessee Department of Health. He added the reopening of future sectors would be accomplished with similar input from industry leaders and elected officials.

“We need Tennessee businesses, workers, and consumers to step up and pledge to follow these guidelines,” Ezell said. “It is critically important that we maintain our commitment to social distancing and adhere to these new guidelines so that we can continue to reopen our economy.”

“Tennesseans pulled together to flatten the curve, and it is time for people to begin to get back to work and back to their businesses,” Lee said. “We are pursuing a careful, measured approach to reopening our economy that does not depend on heavy-handed mandates but instead provides practical tools for businesses of all sizes.”

Lee underscored the Tennessee Pledge plan for safe economic recovery is supported by data showing Tennessee’s curve of novel coronavirus infections hitting a plateau. Lee also pointed to the unsettling economic reality COVID-19 has created in our state.

Tennessee has seen the average daily growth rate remain stable for 14 days, in addition to a steady downward trajectory in positive tests as a percentage of total tests since April 1. The state has also had a massive ramp up in testing, including open testing available to all Tennesseans across 33 sites over last weekend, 18 this weekend, and more the next.

On the economic front, 15 percent of Tennessee’s workforce filed unemployment claims as of this week – more than 400,000 people. State officials predict a $5 billion loss in the state’s gross domestic product during 2020.

April 24, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Two teens were injured in a fiery crash today (Friday) on Coconut Ridge Road.

Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that a 17 year old Cookeville girl was traveling east on Coconut Ridge Road in a 2006 Kia Sedona when she lost control while trying to negotiate a curve. The vehicle ran off the left side of the road, struck a tree, and caught fire.

The driver and her passenger, 18 year old Justus Tramel of Alexandria, although injured, got out of the vehicle and walked to a residence on Savannah Drive where they called for help.

Both were taken by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. Tramel was later transported to Vanderbilt Hospital.

Members of the Cookeville Highway Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze. A dog inside the vehicle perished in the flames.

April 24, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Newly released unemployment data shows the jobless rate dropped in two-thirds of Tennessee’s 95 counties including DeKalb during March 2020. The unemployment data for the month does not take into account the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency.

The federal government conducted its survey to measure the number of Tennesseans who were out of work during the second week of the month, between March 8 and 14.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development did not begin to see the unprecedented increase in unemployment claims until the third and fourth weeks of March.

The DeKalb County unemployment rate for March was 4.6%, down from 4.9% in February but up from 4.4% in March 2019.

The local labor force for March was 7,724. A total of 7,367 were employed and 357 unemployed.

Unemployment rates decreased in 61 counties during March, increased in 18 counties, and remained the same in 16 counties.

Sixty-eight counties had unemployment rates lower than 5% for the month, while 27 counties had rates that were 5% or higher.

Williamson County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in March. At 2.6%, the new rate mirrored February’s rate.

Lincoln County recorded Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate at 7%, which is a 0.2 of a percentage point drop when compared to the previous month.

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