NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) -- Gov. Bill Lee has ordered Tennesseans to remain at home through the end of April, but also says he plans to reopen the economy May 1.
During his regular COVID-19 briefingMonday, Lee warned coronavirus will remain a threat until a vaccine is created. However, the governor went on to say the economy cannot, “stay shut down for months on end.”
Lee called on Tennesseans to “re-imagine how to conduct business,” while maintaining social distance at the same time.
State Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro released a statement soon after the governor's press briefing. He agreed with Lee Tennessee needs to return to work as soon as possible, but cautioned the governor against setting what the Nashville Democrat called “artificial deadlines.”
Yarbro said the governor should first ensure widespread testing, sufficient hospital capacity, and new case tracking are all widely available.
