NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  Gov. Bill Lee has asked state agencies to plan for deep budget cuts as Tennessee prepares for a years-long recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

Economists warned the governor on Wednesday it could be years before business activity and consumer spending in Tennessee return to pre-pandemic levels. They also predicted the state could suffer tax revenue losses during the coming fiscal year ranging anywhere from $588 million to $1.7 billion.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  The Metro Nashville Council will hold a public hearing next week that will include both virtual and in-person comments by city residents.

The council will take comments Tuesday evening on Mayor John Cooper’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The mayor’s proposal includes a 32 percent property tax increase he says is needed to put Metro’s pandemic battered finances back in the black.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — A Nashville judge says she expects to make a ruling next Thursday on whether to order a temporary injunction to let all voters cast ballots by mail in the August primary due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle set that goal Thursday as she reset a hearing in the case for next Wednesday.

The lawsuit argues universal vote by mail eliminates risk of catching COVID-19 at the polls or unknowingly spreading it.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  The Tennessee Department of Labor has released county-level unemployment numbers for the month of April, and the new figures are mind-boggling.

In Middle Tennessee, Maury County has reported the area’s highest jobless rate, now standing at 22 percent. Williamson County has the best numbers locally at 10.4 percent. Davidson County reports unemployment at 15.9 percent. Rutherford County stands at 16.7 percent.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  Nashville’s Public Health Director said Thursday Metro will continue to alert first responders as they are dispatched to the presence of COVID-19 positive residents, even as the state moves to end the practice.

In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Michael Caldwell said alerting police, EMS and other frontline workers to the presence of coronavirus is within his authority and is helping to contain infection. Dr. Caldwell said he was, “puzzled by why the state reversed course.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  Labor officials say that another 26,041 Tennesseans reported being laid off or furloughed this past week.

That brings the eleven week running total of initial claims for jobless benefits to more than 558,000 applications since the coronavirus crisis began.

For the second week in a row, the number of Tennesseans filing continuing claims fell slightly, indicating at least some applicants are returning to work.

The state reports paying jobless benefits last week totaling some $375 million to just over 333,000 Tennesseans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  The damage done to Tennessee’s economy by coronavirus has come into sharper focus. Tax collections for the month of April indicate some sectors of the economy have taken a tremendous beating, while others have done surprisingly well.

Officials with the Tennessee Department of Revenue report hotels and lodging took the biggest hit, with business off a whopping 53 percent. Clothing sales and entertainment were both down 45 percent. Auto sales, home furnishings, and restaurants were also off sharply.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne)  --  Vanderbilt University Medical Center has seen an uptick in the number of injured children seeking treatment.

In a press statement released this week, doctors revealed the numbers and types of injuries they’re seeing are more typical of summer months. They suspect the uptick is related to children being out of school early and sheltering at home.

Dr. Harold Lovvorn III heads Pediatric Trauma at VUMC.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will soon stop providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to first responders, after initially arguing doing so would protect those on the front line.

Gov. Bill Lee’s administration made the decision this week, conceding that the data may have created a false sense of security to those responding to emergency calls.

The data sharing will stop at the end of the month.