On Monday Mayor John Cooper announced Nashville entered Phase Three of a four-phased plan to reopen the city after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States.
This, despite Nashville officials saying they have tallied higher numbers of the virus.
“Our 14-day case average is trending upward, but our testing capacity continues to increase, and more than 81,000 Nashvillians have received a COVID-19 test across Davidson County. We currently have 125 contact tracing investigators, well above our target of 105. Our health care capacity remains in good shape,” Cooper said.
“We currently have 27 percent of floor beds and 24 percent of ICU beds available at our local hospitals. And that all exceeds our target for 20 percent for both of these vital resources. Like our neighbors in other states and cities, our public health experts have determined that our COVID-19 public health benchmarks remain within an acceptable range to safely begin Phase Three.”
Nashville officials plan to keep the city in Phase Three for at least four weeks, Cooper said.
“With Phase Three — much like at a restaurant — local event, and small venues may open at 50 percent of capacity and no more than 250 people, whichever is less. And these venues must have seating and practice social distancing. Bars not previously open may open at 50 percent capacity, and tours may operate at 50 percent capacity with public health measures in place,” Cooper said.
“Metro Park facilities that were previously closed, including playgrounds and basketball courts, may open. The recommendation is to keep informal group gatherings to 25 people or less. Additionally, camps, including day camps and overnight family camps, may operate at full capacity, provided social distancing can be maintained at all times.”
Phase Three, Cooper went on to say, also permits schools and other educational facilities to open, provided officials put proper restrictions in place.
Metro Coronavirus Task Force Chair Alex Jahangir said at Monday’s press conference that Nashville had a total of 8,182 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, an increase of 139 over the prior 24 hours.
“There are currently 2,063 active cases in Nashville. And a total of 87 Nashvillians have died because of COVID-19 infection,” Jahangir said
“We are now testing around 8,000 Nashvillians each week, and the percent of tests that are positive is still around 10 percent, a number that has been consistent since mid-April.”
Metro Public Health Department spokesman Hugh Atkins, meanwhile, said his department has responded to 310 complaints at local businesses regarding the guidelines for reopening.
“Thirty-one of those complaints were repeat complaints and generated site visits from the Environmental Health Specialist within Metro Public Health, and we issued eight more citations this week,” Atkins said.
“Most of the complaints continue to be related to employees not wearing masks. Of the 310 complaints I mentioned, 261 involved face masks.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Figure the worse would have been well in the past if Cooper had just stayed out of the way…. and Nashville’s workers and businesses would be doing just fine.
What a loser.
Chicken Coop Cooper, looser !
You get what you vote for. Is it November yet? Many of us want to get on with our lives.
…Phase 3 Covid lockdown is just more reason to sleep in and get unemployment checks.