TN & GA Governors Announce ‘Safer-At-Home’ Orders To Expire On April 30- With Guidelines & Phases

[Image source: Tennessean video screenshot. 11 Alive video screenshot. The Freedom Times compilation].

On Monday, Governor Bill Lee (R) announced the order for Tennesseans to remain at home will expire April 30, with the majority of businesses in 89 counties allowed to re-open May 1, WATE reported.

The commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health says there are now more recovered COVID-19 cases than active cases, plus additional (new) testing sites are coming soon.

Gov. Lee’s administration will be working with Shelby, Madison, Hamilton, Knox, and Sullivan counties and their health departments as they plan their own re-open strategies.

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

“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,” said Lee. “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.”

Additionally, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) announced he will let the statewide shelter-in-place order expire on April 30, during a news conference Monday afternoon, addressing plans to reopen the state. The elderly and medically fragile patients have to shelter-in-place until May 13. Continued Below

Gov. Kemp will allow some businesses to reopen including gyms, hair and nail salons, and bowling alleys will be allowed to open Friday. On April 27, theaters, private social clubs, and restaurants will be allowed to reopen with strict social distancing guidelines. Bars and nightclubs will remain closed.

Houses of worship will be allowed to hold in-person services but within the social distancing guidelines.

Kemp also said the Department of Public Health is starting to see a flattening of coronavirus cases and a decline of people being hospitalized for the virus in Georgia. Continued Below


Last week, the White House released Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps will help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives.

(Related: Pelosi Calls Anti-Lockdown Protests ‘Unfortunate’, Sarah Sanders Reacts: “What’s Unfortunate Is That An Out Of Touch Multi-Millionaire Is Holding Up Funding”)