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NASHVILLE – Unemployment rates are a lagging measure and for the month of February remained relatively unaffected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate for February 2020 experienced a slight increase according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

NASHVILLE – The state of Tennessee experienced an unprecedented spike in new initial unemployment claims according to data released the morning by this United States Department of Labor.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is receiving almost $500,000 from the federal government to support the mental health needs of survivors of recent tornados.

The State of Tennessee today launches a public service announcement campaign that urges all Tennesseans to adopt preventive health measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak closely. At this time, State Driver Services Centers remain open and the Department is currently taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is making essential financial resources available to families that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. Beginning 10 A.M. CST Thursday, March 26, families can begin applying, online, for up to two months of emergency cash assistance if they were employed as of March 11, 2020 and they’ve lost employment or at least 50% of their earned income as a result of the pandemic.

The commissioners of Tennessee’s Departments of Children’s Services (DCS) and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) are asking for individuals who are students who have earned or are pursuing a master’s degree or are retired from counseling, clinical therapy, social work, and related fields to consider joining the workforce in the event there are workforce needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Nashville, TN—The Tennessee Department of Education secured a partnership with the state’s PBS stations to deliver daily instructional content for Tennessee students during COVID-19 school closures. This partnership will provide all students with access to daily learning opportunities right in their own homes. Staring April 6, Tennessee’s six PBS stations— WNPT Nashville, East Tennessee PBS, WCTE Upper Cumberland, WKNO Memphis, West TN PBS, and Chattanooga WTCI— will deliver two hours of programming with high-quality instructional content from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST. Four hours of content will also be streamed overnight, which viewers can watch live or record.

NASHVILLE, TN – Today, Commissioner Penny Schwinn released the following statement on Governor Bill Lee’s announcement recommending school districts remain closed through April 24: “This is an unprecedented time for our country and state and we thank Governor Lee for his leadership in protecting the health and wellbeing of Tennessee's students and teachers. We know school closures represent a significant disruption for families and students and the recommendation to extend them has not been considered lightly.” “The Department of Education team will continue to work closely with our districts as they serve students and families during this time. We are committed to doing whatever we can to support our district leaders as they make the necessary decisions to ensure students can continue to access critical meal and other services, as well as receive high-quality academic instruction while they are out of school.”

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is partnering with The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to make $10 million in new assistance available to help licensed childcare agencies that were impacted by the recent COVID-19 emergency and the March 3 tornado disaster. Starting Tuesday, March 24, agencies will be able to apply for grant money to recoup some of their losses and expenses.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) today announced that public postsecondary institutions across the state would be utilizing existing 3D printers to mitigate the potential risk of medical supply shortages for Tennesseans.

Eugene Neubert is today named Acting Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration (F&A).

Thank you for your interest in helping the State of Tennessee get much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you are a business that has PPE to donate, you can email COVID.PPEDonations@tn.gov

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee established the COVID-19 Unified Command, a joint effort to be led by Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, to streamline coordination across the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), Tennessee Department of Health and Tennessee Department of Military.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is taking immediate steps to ensure access to critical services and benefits for customers while protecting the health of employees and the public in response to COVID-19. After a careful analysis of foot traffic and the health and safety guidelines for COVID-19 provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Tennessee Department of Health, the TDHS has decided to move to appointment only for in person services beginning Monday, March 23, 2020.