NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The mayors of Tennessee's major metro cities announced today the formation of the Tennessee Major Metros Economic Restart Task Force to plan and coordinate the reopening and recovery of businesses following shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has begun the process for planning the reopening of the state's economy. The task force intends to link communities together in a coordinated response throughout the process, and serves as an organized way for Tennessee's four major metro areas to collect input and collaborate with state government. The task force is comprised of business leaders and healthcare professionals appointed jointly by each metro area's city and county mayors.
In addition, the task force will listen to medical experts and evaluate the conditions of the economy in order to make informed recommendations and public health protocols for reopening. Recommendations will focus on factors that indicate when businesses will be safe to reopen, how businesses should be smoothly phased in and specific requirements for safe business operation.
"As employment centers and healthcare providers for their regions, the four metro areas must coordinate and help inform the statewide approach," said Mayor Cooper. "Our challenge is restarting our economy with protocols to protect public health. This Task Force is the city's part of a statewide solution to safely reopning our economy, and I believe will be a valuable partner to the Governor's office."
The Tennessee Major Metros Economic Restart Task Force will be staffed by the chiefs of staff and deputy mayors of each mayor. It will start meeting next week.
Below is a list of task force members by metro city.
Nashville
Dr. James Hildreth, Meharry Medical College
Laura Hollingsworth, Ryman Hospitality
Dr. Alex Jahangir, Head of Metro Coronavirus Task Force
Rob McCabe, Pinnacle Financial Partners and Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Memphis
Alan Crone, Crone Law Firm
Charles Ewing, Ewing Moving and Storage
Dr. Manoj Jain, infectious disease specialist
Kevin Kane, Memphis Tourism
Beverly Robertson, Greater Memphis Chamber
Knoxville
Kathy Brown, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Dave Miller, First Horizon Bank
Mike Odom, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce
Ryan Steffy, SoKno Taco Restaurant
Chattanooga
Philip Byrum, Monen Family Restaurant Group
Wade Hinton, Unum
Dr. Kathleen Hunt, Children's Hospital at Erlanger
Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality Group
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
