Gov. Lee reveals plans to get Tennessee economy back on track

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–Governor Bill Lee’s held a news conference Thursday afternoon in which he revealed his plans on how the state of Tennessee will be moving forward amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Lee says restaurants and retail stores will be the first to open as the state starts to transition into rebooting the economy.

“(Friday) morning, we’re going to be holding a special press briefing, to debut our first round of industry guidance for the restaurant and retail industries, as we aim to get these business open safely at 50 percent capacity next week,” said Governor Lee.

For now, it is unknown when other businesses will be allowed to reopen as well.

Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers says most of the state parks will be reopening starting Friday morning.
However, everything won’t be back to normal just yet. You will still need to follow social distancing guidelines and access to some parks may be limited.

“Be aware that overcrowding may cause entire park, or portions of that park to close again. Please don’t use playgrounds, please do not gather in groups of 10 or more,” said Salyers.

Commissioner Salyers also said you should plan ahead when visiting a state park, by bringing water and snacks with you.
Some parks will not have restrooms available and overnight stays are currently canceled.

There’s good news for high school seniors and their families. Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced new guidance is being offered to school districts across the state regarding graduation ceremonies.

“The department has issued new guidance to superintendents across the state to help them decide whether and how to conduct virtual ceremonies or in-person ceremonies over the following months,” said Schwinn.

Guidance information can be found on the department of education’s website and include ideas for local districts to come up with their own plan to safely celebrate graduations.