NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville singer/songwriter has started a petition urging Mayor John Cooper to shut down Broadway as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Chelsea Crowell, daughter of Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell and granddaughter of Johnny Cash, started the petition on Change.org to “protect Nashville from COVID-19.”
During his COVID-19 update on Tuesday, Cooper announced a new public health order that will require businesses that sell alcohol to close at 10 p.m. That order is expected to go into effect on Friday. Bars will remain closed through the end of the month as part of amended order 9.
However, Crowell’s petition goes a step further and calls on Broadway to close, saying “closing at 10pm is not going to help this problem. Covid does not turn into a pumpkin after 10pm, the virus really only cares if you are maskless and close to others, preferably drunk, as people tend to get at bars.”
I got that memo but the bar owners on lower broadway burned that memo. There is a loophole for selling food and lower broadway has been packed every weekend. I love Patsy btw https://t.co/o3GoHxNccU
— Chelsea Crowell (@cjanecrowell) July 22, 2020
“Nashville citizens need our health and lives prioritized over money and the tourism industry and we need our leaders and lawmakers to take this seriously. So many of us cannot return to work or send our children safely back to school until the virus is under control. If you look at the heat map, published by the mayor himself, you will see that most of the cases are coming from downtown,” the petition reads in part.
Crowell said the goal of the petition is to get enough signatures to present to Cooper.
Nashville received national attention over the weekend for people not wearing masks downtown. As of now, Nashville remains in Phase Two of its reopening process.
When asked about the petition during Thursday's COVID-19 update, Cooper responded, "Everything has to be on the table... We will observe and respond as required."
