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Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee continues to advance the state’s reopening plan under the Tennessee Pledge, as the Economic Recovery Group issued updated guidelines today for restaurants and retail, along with new guidelines that enable attractions and larger venues to reopen with social distancing and capacity restrictions on or after May 22. The State continues to meet the White House gating criteria with a downward trend in case growth, increase in testing capability and sufficient hospital capacity.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Unified Command Group (UCG) is coordinating with the Chattanooga Housing Authority to provide free COVID-19 testing available to families and residents who would like to receive a test at four CHA communities on Thursday and Friday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the final distribution of $10 million in Small and Rural Hospital Readiness Grants to support smaller hospitals that are facing financial strain due to the ongoing response to COVID-19.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and a delegation of Shelby County leaders and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers service members will mark the completion of a significant project in Tennessee’s COVID-19 efforts with a joint review of the equipping and readying of the Mid-South region’s COVID-19 alternate care site at 495 Union Ave., in Memphis, Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Unified Command Group continues its effort to expand COVID-19 testing to vulnerable populations in coordination with housing authorities in Knoxville and Memphis to offer free, voluntary COVID-19 testing to residents and families over the next four days.

Nashville, Tenn. – As Tennessee continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the state’s Economic Recovery Group announced today it will lift capacity restrictions on restaurants and retail to instead focus on social distancing best practices effective May 22 and issue guidelines to facilitate the safe reopening of larger, non-contact attractions on or after May 22.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Unified Command Group is coordinating with the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency to provide free, voluntary COVID-19 testing for families and residents at 14 MDHA communities and neighborhoods in Nashville on Thursday and Friday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the appointment of Brandon O. Gibson as the next Chief Operating Officer for the State of Tennessee. Gibson replaces Butch Eley as COO following Eley’s appointment as Commissioner of Finance & Administration. Gibson had previously been serving as Senior Advisor to the Governor.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced next steps for the Unified-Command Group as Stuart McWhorter departs the administration at the end of May to go back to the private sector and to take on a senior advisory role at Clemson University.

Nashville, Tenn. – As businesses reopen across the state, Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group released additional guidance today for Recreation, Offices, Lodging, Construction and Manufacturing. Non-contact recreation businesses like bowling alleys, arcades, dance classes, water sports, golf and more will be able to reopen Friday, May 8. The Tennessee Pledge guidelines recommend capacity limits, spacing requirements, and frequent sanitization, among others. Larger venues and activities where social distancing is not feasible remain closed.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Unified Command Group (UCG) is announcing two strategic partnerships today in the state’s COVID-19 re-opening effort to make sure Tennessee households and health care workers have protective face coverings and clean personal protective equipment.

Nashville, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced more than 23,000 Tennesseans have received a free COVID-19 test at 67 drive-through sites over the past three weekends, as part of Unified-Command Group’s efforts to reduce barriers and widen access to testing for all Tennesseans regardless of symptoms.

NASHVILLE, TENN. – Today, the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives released guidance for faith communities on gathering together in houses of worship.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Unified Command Group (UCG) is announcing today a mass COVID-19 testing initiative will begin next week for all Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) staff and the inmates in their care.

Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group released guidance for close contact services today, enabling over 38,000 workers to resume business in 89 of the state’s 95 counties on May 6. Six counties – Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan – will create individual plans in consultation with their locally-run health departments.