The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Tennessee on March 5, 2020. As of February 1, 2021, there are 729,187 confirmed cases, 9,753 deaths, 685,162 recoveries, and 6,336,990 reported tests.[1]
As of February 1, 2021, Tennessee ranks 11th by number of confirmed cases, 14th by number of deaths, and 18th by number of deaths per capita in the United States.[2]
As of February 1, 2021[update], Tennessee has administered 643,497 COVID-19 vaccine doses; 6.8% of the population has received at least one dose and 2.7% are fully vaccinated.[3]
Timeline
March
On March 5, the first case of COVID-19 is reported in Tennessee, in Williamson County. The patient is a 44-year-old adult man and resident of Williamson County who recently flew on a nonstop flight to Boston through Nashville's airport.[4]
On March 12, Governor Bill Lee issues an executive order declaring a state of emergency until May 11.[5]
On March 16, Nashville mayor John Cooper forces bars to close in Nashville and Davidson County and imposes limitations on restaurants.[6] Governor Lee asks schools to close by March 20.[7]
On March 19, Fiona Whelan Prine, wife and manager of country folk singer-songwriter John Prine announces that she has the coronavirus.[8] On March 26, John is admitted to the hospital after suffering sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms.[9] On April 7, John dies, while Fiona Whelan Prine announces she has recovered.[10]
On March 20, the first death is reported in Nashville.[11]
On March 22, the University of Tennessee reports its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The case involves a staff member and is confirmed by the Knox County Health Department.[12]
On March 23, Memphis mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County mayor Lee Harris issue "stay at home" executive orders that take effect for Memphis and Shelby County the following day.[13]
On March 26, Middle Tennessee State University confirms an on-campus student tested positive for COVID-19 and is being supported by MTSU Student Health Services.[14]
On March 29, country music artist Joe Diffie dies in Nashville due to complications from the coronavirus, according to his publicist.[15]
April
On April 2, Governor Lee issued a "stay at home" executive order for the entire state, effective through April 14.[16] On April 13, he extended the order through April 30.[17] Two days later, Governor Lee recommended that all Tennessee schools close for the rest of the 2019–2020 school year.[18][19]
On April 27, there were 576 positive cases at the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex.[22]
Lee confirmed the "stay at home" executive order would expire on April 30, and the majority of businesses would be able to reopen the following day, May 1.[23]
On May 7, a study conducted by Harvard's Global Health Institute in conjunction with NPR listed Tennessee as one of nine U.S. states that was doing enough testing to successfully control its coronavirus outbreak.[25]
On May 10, Hancock County became the last county in the state without any confirmed cases of COVID-19 after Pickett County reported one case.[26]
On May 15, the state of Tennessee announced Phase 2 of reopening, set to start May 22. This applied to 89 of Tennessee's 95 counties (all but Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan). Knox County mayor Glenn Jacobs announced that Knoxville would follow the state's guidelines. Dollywood announced it planned to reopen "soon".[27]
On May 19, every county in Tennessee was confirmed to have had COVID-19 after Hancock County reported a case.
On May 26, it was reported that all employees of a single farm in Rhea County (nearly 200 people) had tested positive.[28]
June
On June 22, the Westmore Church of God in Cleveland held a three-hour regional worship service for several hundred people. At least a dozen people attending the event tested positive.[29]
On July 3, Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order giving authority to Tennessee's 89 non-metro counties with no locally operated health departments to enforce mask-wearing mandates in their counties.[31]
On July 12, the pastor of the Westmore Church of God said that "the church should have taken masks more seriously as a precaution." The church had stopped tracking the number of confirmed cases in its congregation.[33]
On July 17, three elderly church members who attended a June 21 service at the Westmore Church of God had died of Covid.[34]
On July 23, there were 7,572 school-age children in Tennessee with a COVID-19 diagnosis. This number was thought to be an undercount of cases, as children are not routinely tested. Six counties in Middle Tennessee counties were in the top 10 for juvenile cases.[35]
On July 29, Dr. Fauci warned that there were early signs of an impending outbreak in Tennessee, and that 93% of Tennessee's counties had a transmission rate “above the threshold.”[36]
August
On August 5, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that "fear of COVID-19" was not a valid excuse for Tennesseans to vote-by-mail in the coming November elections, countering the injunction of Nashville judge Ellen Lyle mandating a COVID-19 excuse as a reason to apply for a absentee ballot.[37]
On August 10, a church in Athens closed after several church members tested positive.[38]
On August 12, two nursing homes in Johnson City and Greeneville reported at least 78 cases.[39]
On August 13, the University of Tennessee had 20 cases among students, 8 cases among staff, and 155 people self-isolating due to potential exposure.[40]
On August 15, five Middle Tennessee counties had closed individual classrooms or entire schools due to individuals with symptoms or exposures.[41]
On August 18, the University of Tennessee reported 75 active cases, and had traced one cluster to an off-campus party.[42]
On September 3, 1,144 people incarcerated at South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton had tested positive for the virus. The total number of deaths among people incarcerated in state prisons was 14. Another round of mass testing began for all state prisons. 312 Tennessee Department of Correction employees had tested positive for the virus, and one had died.[44]
On September 9, University of Tennessee had 660 cases, and 990 students self-isolating or in quarantine. Students in Massey Hall were required to move out, so that their rooms could be reallocated to students requiring isolation.[45]
On September 17, WZTV (Fox News Nashville) reported that the mayor of Nashville, John Cooper was shutting down and severely limiting the capacity of bars and restaurants during the July 4th weekend due to a mere 80 coronavirus cases linked to bars. As a comparison, more than 1,000 coronavirus cases in Nashville were linked to both construction and nursing homes. The mayor's office was falsely reported to have actively deceived the public on the number of coronavirus cases linked to bars and restaurants.[46] Bar owners considered this particularly egregious as the "night life economy makes Nashville go" and these restrictions have caused Music City musicians, sound engineers, and bartenders to be "thrown out".[47]
October
On October 22, Williamson, Wilson, and Sumner Counties reinstated mandates requiring residents to wear masks in public.[48]
November
On November 17, the day after Moderna announced its coronavirus vaccine reduced the risk of coronavirus infection by 94.5 percent, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that Vanderbilt University Medical Center, among others, worked on this vaccine. Additionally, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that prominent country artist and Tennessee resident Dolly Parton helped fund research at VUMC for this vaccine. Parton said she donated $1 million because her friend, Dr. Naji Abumrad of VUMC, informed her that the hospital was making exciting advancements towards a coronavirus cure.[49]
December
In a December 20 televised speech, Governor Bill Lee emphasized his support for mask usage but rejected calls to impose a statewide mask mandate. He made the speech following reports that Tennessee was experiencing one of the country's worst new coronavirus case rates per person. He explained his viewpoint, saying, "Many think a statewide mask mandate would improve mask wearing, many think it would have the opposite effect...This has been a heavily politicized issue. Please do not get caught up in that and don't misunderstand my belief in local government on this issue. Masks work and I want every Tennessean to wear one."[50] Governor Lee added new limits to indoor public gatherings via his new executive order announced during the same speech. Lee limited all indoor public gatherings to 10 people; religious services, weddings, and funerals excepted from this requirement. Additionally, Lee asked Tennesseans to avoid gathering for Christmas outside of homes and encouraged Tennessee businesses to allow employees to work remotely or require masks for employees.[51]
On December 23, Governor Lee extended Tennessee counties' authority to mandate masks through February 27.[52][53]
January 2021
On January 2, health officials in Hamilton County sent 75-year-old citizens home after waiting in line for four hours to receive the vaccine against COVID-19, and then they administered vaccines to politicitally-connected family and friends.[54]
Government response
On March 5, Governor Bill Lee reported the state's first case: a man in his 40s in Williamson County who had recently traveled outside the state.[55]
On March 12, Governor Lee issued Executive Order No. 14 to declare a State of Emergency until it expired on May 11. The order allows pharmacists to dispense an additional 30-day prescription provided it is to prevent the spread of the virus, allows for alternate COVID-19 testing sites provided that the Tennessee Medical Laboratory Board is notified, restricts an excessive price increase of items and services until March 27, suspends maximum size limitations for vehicles participating in preventing the spread of the virus, and gives the Tennessee Commissioner of Human Services the ability to waive child care requirements as needed.[5]
On March 13, the Tennessee Supreme Court under Chief Justice Jeff Bivins issued a State of Emergency order applying to the Tennessee judicial branch. The order suspended in-person proceedings until March 31, and extended statutes of limitations and orders of protection that would expire on April 5 or before to April 6.[56] Additionally, Governor Lee banned traveling by state employees for non-essential government business, while also banning visitors and tours in Nashville.[57] The Tennessee General Assembly also banned the public from the legislative Cordell Hull Office complex with only members, staff, and media allowed.[58]
On March 16, Nashville mayor John Cooper announced that bars would close across the county and imposed limitations on restaurants.[6] On the same day, Lee asked schools to close by March 20;[7] on April 15, he recommended they stay closed through the end of the school year.[18][19]
On March 23, Memphis mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County mayor Lee Harris issued executive orders to take effect 6:00 pm, March 24, requiring residents to remain at home unless they served essential services.[13] The list of essential services was broad.[59]
The state has gradually collected more information in its coronavirus reporting. Initially, Tennessee was unable to reveal the counties where infected victims lived. On March 10, the state government began reporting coronavirus cases by county, but it still did not have information regarding age and gender. Currently, age, gender, race, and county information is published daily. On March 31, the state government was able to reveal the number of negative cases in each county. Lee also signed an executive order allowing local governments to meet remotely after the legislature failed to do so.[60]
On March 25, during Governor Lee's daily COVID-19 briefing, Military Commissioner Major General Jeff Holmes announced that 250 members of the Tennessee National Guard had been mobilized to assist in the state's response and were receiving training in Smyrna.[61] Small teams of Guardsmen were dispersed across 35 counties to support coronavirus testing.[62] Members of the Tennessee State Guard were activated to assist the National Guard's mission.[63]
On April 2, Governor Lee announced that he would sign Executive Order No. 23, which would call for all residents to stay home through April 14, unless they were carrying out essential activities.[16] On April 13, Lee extended the order to the end of the month, to align with President Trump's plans for businesses to reopen in early May.[17]
The Tennessee Major Metros Economic Restart Task Force was established on April 16, composed of mayors representing Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga, as well as business and health leaders. The task force would plan resumption of business suspended due to COVID-19.[64]
Governor Lee announced on April 20 that the 'Safer at Home' order would expire on April 30, and the majority of businesses would be able to reopen the following day, May 1.[23]
On April 24, Governor Lee announced his reopening plan, applying to 89 of Tennessee's 95 counties. It did not apply to Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga — Tennessee's largest cities. Instead, Lee left reopening decisions to local leaders in those places. The guidelines allowed restaurants and retail stores to reopen on April 27 and 29, respectively. The state recommended that businesses should keep occupancy at 50% capacity and require employees to use cloth masks and gloves.[65]
On April 30, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city of Memphis and its surrounding county were ready to "slowly start opening our economy back up and get Memphians working again" on May 4. After a meeting of a "diverse group with ideological and political differences", it was determined that Memphis would not be able to reopen with most of the rest of the state. Memphis entered Phase 1 of reopening on May 4.[66]
On May 7, Nashville mayor John Cooper announced that Nashville has a "passing grade" and would begin Phase 1 of reopening on May 11. This would bring Nashville into closer alignment with the rest of the state, where some businesses reopened with partial capacity on May 1.[67]
On May 15, the Governor's Economic Recovery Group announced Phase 2 of reopening. In this phase, starting May 22, 89 of Tennessee's 95 counties (excluding the largest cities that determine their own timelines) would allow restaurants and retail to operate at full capacity with social distancing and not allowing groups of more than 10 people. Also "large non-contact attractions" such as theaters, amusement parks, water parks, racetracks, museums, and auditoriums would be allowed to reopen with social distancing. Knox County mayor Glenn Jacobs announced that Knoxville would follow the state's guidelines. Dollywood announced it planned to reopen "soon".[27]
On July 22, the Oak Ridge City Council, passed a measure to send Governor Lee a resolution to give municipalities the ability to enforce mask mandates, regardless if the county that the municipality is in did not enforce a mandate itself.[68]
On July 29, with schools reopening across the state, the state health department decided not to collect data on COVID-19 cases in schools, instead leaving the decision of whether to collect and share the data to the individual school districts.[69][70]
Mask mandate enforcement
By July 16, after the Governor's July 3 executive order giving all Tennessee counties the power to mandate masks in public, Davidson, Dickson, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Knox, Madison, Montgomery, Robertson, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, and Williamson counties required masks.
Meanwhile, Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Cheatham, Coffee, Franklin, Grainger, Grundy, Hickman, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Rutherford, Sesquatchie, and Wilson Counties announced they would not require masks. Several counties continue to recommend, but not require, masks and framed the mask issue as an issue of personal responsibility and "love and respect". Six of Tennessee's counties (Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, Sullivan) have local health departments and already had the authority to issue mask mandates.[71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79]
On October 30, Governor Bill Lee extended Tennessee counties' authority to issue mask mandates through December 29. Montgomery County (including Clarksville) and Sumner County extended their mask mandates that same day.[80]
On November 16, News Channel 5 Nashville reported that 25 Tennessee counties with 66.3% of Tennessee's residents were requiring masks. These counties were: Carter, Davidson, Dyer, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Unicoi, Warren, Washington, Weakley, Williamson, and Wilson Counties.[81]
On November 18, Wayne County announced it would issue a mask mandate starting November 19 and ending December 29.[82]
On December 23, Governor Lee extended Tennessee counties' authority to mandate masks through February 27. Sumner and Washington Counties extended their mask mandates that same day.[83][84][85][86]
On December 29, News 8 Knoxville reported that Hamblen, Roane, and Sevier Counties were extending their mask mandates through February 27, while Grainger County was extending its mask mandate through January 31.[87]
On January 1, 2021, WMC Action News 5 Memphis reported that Benton County issued a mask mandate that would be renewed weekly.[88]
On September 11, the Memphis Tigers suspended football operations after at least 20 people in the program tested positive.[93]
On November 10, the Tennessee Volunteers' game against Texas A&M, scheduled for November 14, was postponed to December 12 due to coronavirus issues on the Texas A&M team.[94]
The Tennessee Department of Health provides information on testing locations by county level.[97] According to the Tennessee Department of Health, "Locations will be added as available. For non-health department sites, individuals should call the assessment site prior to going in person. Many locations do a phone assessment to determine if an in-person assessment or test is needed. For health department sites, individuals should visit during the stated hours of operation."
Statistics
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2020)
^Kruesi, Kimberlee (April 1, 2020). "Tennessee grapples with what to disclose amid virus outbreak". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved April 3, 2020. Lee has also had to take executive action to let local counties and cities meet remotely after the GOP-dominant Legislature failed to do so in the final hours before abruptly passing an emergency spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year and recessing due to coronavirus concerns.