Lee Extends Stay At Home Until April 30, Reopen In May

Governor Bill Lee said the state will plan to reopen Tennessee’s economy in May with a “phased reboot” plan.

“We need Tennesseans to go back to work,” Lee said.

Lee said his stay at home order will be extended until April 30. Lee said an announcement about schools will be made Wednesday. Currently, April 24 stands as the possible return date for schools.

Lee said every Tennessean must step up in the meantime to continue the flattening of the curve.

“Defeating this disease once and for all requires specific advances, scientific advances that are many months away,” Lee said But until that time, we have to find new ways of living our lives and operating our businesses that will allow us to function as safely as possible while balancing a number of goals that sometimes may be in conflict.

Lee said he has formed an economic recovery task force to begin the process of detailing the reboot process. Essential businesses will likely need to change the ways of doing business. He predicted it will bring some discomfort and a balance between health and economic health can be found.

“We have a clear path forward but the direction is not clear,” Lee said. We’ll create industry specific guidance so that businesses can be fully prepared to operate safely and to protect their employees and their customers.”

With a vaccine and treatments still in the distance, Lee said the risk exists for COVID-19 to rush back. Social distancing, Lee said, will become a way of life for Tennesseans for months. However, Lee said an open-ended economic shutdown cannot be sustained.

“We have to find new ways to live our lives,” Lee said. “We have a very serious risk. Tennesseans must come together to keep each other safe by taking concrete actions and establishing new routines.”

Lee noted that testing needs to be more readily available before the economy reopens. Not every Tennessean could be tested today if needed, Dr. Lisa Piercey said. She added testing everyone would not be beneficial because someone might test negative on Monday only to be infected later in the week.

Monday marked the tenth straight day with single-digit growth in positive cases. Tennessee has tested more than 76,000 people statewide. Lee said his administration has been in close contact with the Tennessee Medical Association to verify that the situation on the ground reflects the statistics.

As of Monday, Lee said 5,287 hospital beds are available. Surge capacity statewide stands at just over 17,000.