Gov. Lee says he will not extend stay-at-home order past April 30

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Monday said he will not extend the state’s stay-at-home order past April 30, and most businesses in 89 of Tennessee’s 95 counties will be allowed to re-open on May 1.

“Our Economic Recovery Group is working with industry leaders around the clock so that some businesses can open as soon as Monday, April 27,” Lee said. “These businesses will open according to specific guidance that we will provide in accordance with state and national experts in both medicine and business.”

The governor said his administration will work with Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Sullivan counties and their health departments as they plan their own strategies for re-opening.

“While I am not extending the safer at home order past the end of April, we are working directly with our major metropolitan areas to ensure they are in a position to reopen as soon and safely as possible,” Lee said. “Social distancing works, and as we open up our economy, it will be more important than ever that we keep social distancing as lives and livelihoods depend on it.”

The Economic Recovery Group, comprised of 30 leaders from the public and private sector, is crafting guidance to help businesses safely reopen, the governor’s office said. The industry representatives participating in the Economic Recovery Group collectively represent more than 140,000 Tennessee businesses that employ more than 2.5 million Tennesseans, the office said. More information about the group is available here.