March 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Monday issued a two-week statewide order closing non-essential businesses and telling Tennesseans to stay home in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Lee made the announcement during his daily briefing, saying the order is not a shelter-in-place mandate, but instead strongly urges Tennesseans to stay at home when at all possible.
The order mandates businesses or organizations that do not perform essential services to close its public access and are encouraged to use delivery, takeout, online or telephone operations.
Essential activities are defined as things like going to the grocery store, getting medications, providing or facilitating food orders, outdoor activities within the health guidelines and caring for or visiting a family member or friend within the health guidelines.
Under both state and federal guidelines, election officials are also considered essential employees. As a result, the DeKalb County Election Office will be open to issue and receive petitions through the qualifying deadline on Thursday, April 2.
Other Essential Services Include:
*Health Care and Public Health Operations
*Human Services Operations
*Essential Infrastructure Operations
*Essential Government Functions
*Food and Medicine Stores
*Food and Beverage Production and Agriculture
*Organizations that Provide Charitable and Social Services
*Religious and Ceremonial Functions
*Media
*Gas Stations and Businesses Needed for Transportation
*Financial Institutions and Insurance Entities
*Hardware and Supply Stores
*Critical Trades
*Mail, Post, Shipping, Logistics, Delivery, and Pick-up Services
*Educational Institutions
*Laundry Services
*Restaurants for Off-Premises Consumption
*Supplies to Work from Home
*Supplies for Essential Businesses and Operations
*Transportation
*Home-based Care and Services
*Residential Facilities and Shelters
*Professional Services
*Manufacturing, Distribution and Supply Chain for Critical Products and Industries
*Hotels and Motels
*Funeral Services
“This is not a mandated ‘shelter in place’ order, because it remains deeply important to me to protect personal liberties,” Lee said at a Monday afternoon news briefing.
The order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday and lasts through April 14, during which time only essential businesses are to continue operating and residents are to stay home “as much as possible,” per Executive Order 22, which was filed Monday with the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
Executive Order 21 was also filed Monday, which specifically orders the temporary closure of salons, spas, concert venues, theaters and other indoor recreational facilities.
Lee previously held off on shutting down Tennessee for more than a week, insisting statewide orders are difficult to enforce and that he preferred to advise social distancing instead of mandating it. The governor cited Tennesseans’ willingness to do the right thing.
But desperate pleas from mayors and medical professionals have increased pressure on the governor to take more aggressive action.
As of Monday, state health officials had tallied 1,834 cases and 13 deaths in Tennessee as a result of the coronavirus, with some of the largest clusters in Nashville, Memphis and Williamson County. At least 148 people are hospitalized.