Local leaders begin lifting restrictions, urge businesses to follow guidelines

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson and Madison County leaders have their eyes set on the future. How can we keep moving forward to continue the economic recovery in our area?

“My hope is that we as a community are very conscientious about getting out and getting back into restaurants and into the retail establishments,” said Kim Tedford, Director of Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department.

Restaurants across the state opened Monday with special guidelines, including staying at half capacity and maintaining social distancing.

“We’re not saying you have to open. We’re saying, ‘Here’s the guidance. Here’s the opportunity to open if you can.’ Some are choosing to open this week, and some are not,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger.

They say if you have a problem with a business not following procedures, tell the business before you reach out to the city or county.

“They want to know if a customer is not comfortable,” said Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris. “So if there is an issue, I think the first thing folks need to do is talk to that business.”

West Tennessee Healthcare says they plan on bringing back some of the 1,100 people they’ve furloughed recently.

“That number is going to fluctuate. It certainly will go down next week when we start elective procedures back up in other departments,” said Amy Garner, chief compliance officer for West Tennessee Healthcare.

As a reminder, the mayors say if we see a spike in cases and our healthcare system is overwhelmed, they are willing to take retroactive steps and put restrictions back in place.

Tedford says there’s currently no plans for another drive-thru testing site at the fairgrounds, but Christ Community Health Services will be offering drive-thru testing at their East Jackson facility.