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Documenting Tennessee's path to recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

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Tennessee coronavirus coverage
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Multistate agreements • Non-governmental plans
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Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This article contains a general timeline of noteworthy state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic since April 2020. It also includes details on three specific types of state responses to the pandemic:

Additionally, the article includes:


Response news updates

The following section provides a timeline of Tennessee's reopening activity beginning in April 2020. The entries, which come from our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter, are sorted by month in reverse chronological order. The date shown is the day that we wrote about them in the newsletter. They appear exactly as they appeared in the newsletter.

August 2021

  • August 3: On Friday, July 30, Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended the statewide COVID-19 state of emergency through Aug. 31.

July 2021

  • July 6: The state stopped participating in pandemic-related federal unemployment benefit programs on July 3. Gov. Bill Lee (R) made the announcement May 11.

May 2021

  • May 12: On Tuesday, May 11, Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced the state will stop participating in federal pandemic unemployment programs beginning July 3.

April 2021

  • April 27: On Tuesday, April 27, Gov Bill Lee (R) issued an executive order ending county mayors’ authority in 89 counties to require masks. In Tennessee, the state health department has authority over 89 of the state’s 95 counties, and the department allowed counties to pass their own mask mandates. Lee asked independent health departments in Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Sullivan counties to end restrictions on businesses and mask requirements by May 30. Lee also ended all statewide health orders.
  • April 14: On Wednesday, April 14, the Tennessee Senate voted 27-3 to pass Senate Bill 0858. The bill prohibits government officials or agencies from mandating that private businesses require customers to show proof of vaccination. The bill now goes to the House.
  • April 5: Effective Monday, April 5, residents 16 and older are eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

March 2021

  • March 23: On Monday, March 22, Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced that residents 16 and older will become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine April 5.
  • March 1: On Friday, Feb. 26, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed an order extending the coronavirus state of emergency through April 28 and ending visitation restrictions on nursing homes and long-term care facilities. He also signed orders extending provisions that allow for remote government meetings and remote notarization.

February 2021

  • February 23: On Monday, Feb. 22, the Tennessee State Senate voted 27-5 to pass SB 0103, a bill that would give the governor authority to reopen public schools to in-person instruction during a state of emergency. The bill specifies that in the absence of an order from a local health board or the governor, school boards determine whether to open or close schools during emergencies. The bill goes to the House for consideration.
  • February 11: On Wednesday, Feb. 10, Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced the state would partner with Walmart to expedite the distribution of vaccines throughout the state.
  • February 1: Gov. Bill Lee (R) is lifting restrictions on spectators and participants at indoor and outdoor school sporting events beginning Feb. 1. On that day, cheerleaders will be permitted to perform at games, and the general public will be allowed to attend them.

January 2021

  • January 20: On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended and modified an order that restricts spectators at school sporting events through Feb. 27. The new order prohibits bands, cheerleaders, and dance teams from attending games.

December 2020

  • December 23: On Tuesday, Dec. 22, Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended the state’s coronavirus emergency through Feb. 27.
  • December 21: On Sunday, Dec. 20, Gov. Bill Lee (R) issued an executive order limiting gatherings to 10 people.

October 2020

  • October 21: The state announced the creation of a new COVID-19 website that Gov. Bill Lee (R) said would “help Tennesseans quickly and easily find important information as they navigate decisions for themselves and their families.” The site includes dashboards and daily reports with state and county-level data, including case counts, hospitalizations, and number of tests performed.
  • October 20: On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced he would be extending the executive order that allows local governments to impose mask requirements through the end of the year.

September 2020

  • September 30: On Sept. 29, Gov. Bill Lee (R) released an executive order eliminating coronavirus restrictions on businesses and gatherings in 89 of the state’s 95 counties. Six counties, including Shelby, operate according to rules made by their respective health departments
  • September 29: In a call with state legislators on Sept. 29, Gov. Bill Lee (R) said he would renew the COVID-19 state of emergency, which expires on Sept. 30, and remove all remaining coronavirus restrictions on businesses. As of this writing, Lee had not released the order.

August 2020

  • August 31: On Aug. 28, Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended the statewide state of emergency through September 30.
  • August 18: On Aug. 17, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a bill protecting businesses, schools, and nursing homes from lawsuits related to damages caused by COVID-19. It makes it harder for parties to sue those entities for damages caused by COVID-19 but does not apply to cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
  • August 12: Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said on Aug. 12 that the Tennessee Department of Education was encouraging school districts to mandate face coverings for middle and high school students.
  • August 3: On July 31, Gov. Bill Lee (R) issued Executive Order 55, which removes restrictions on contact sports, including football and soccer, so long as organizations and schools follow safety guidelines. The order also extended an earlier executive order that permitted local governments to determine mask requirements.

July 2020

  • July 29: Gov. Bill Lee (R) released guidelines for reopening schools. The recommendations cover testing and contact tracing, immunizations, and resources necessary for returning students to classrooms or teaching remotely.
  • July 27: On July 24, the Tennessee Board of Education reviewed waiver requests for the 2020-2021 school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The board denied requests from 60 districts to waive the requirement that districts offer at least two physical education classes a week for at least 60 minutes. The board granted waivers to 56 districts to eliminate duty-free lunch breaks for teachers in districts where students will use classrooms for lunch rather than cafeterias. The board also denied waivers seeking to increase the state’s maximum class size.
  • July 13: Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) Economic Recovery Group released new guidelines for media production. The guidelines apply to the film, TV, and music industries.
  • July 7: On July 3, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed an order allowing mayors in 89 counties to issue mask requirements.

June 2020

  • June 30: On Monday, June 29, Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended the state of emergency declaration through August 29. The order continues the suspension and extension of some laws, regulations, and deadlines, including allowing restaurants to offer take-out and delivery of alcohol and pushing back the date at which drivers licenses need to be renewed. Lee also issued an executive order permitting local governments to continue to meet remotely.
  • June 18: The Knox County Board of Health announced on June 18 that Knox County would adopt Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) reopening plan on July 1. Lee permitted six counties, including Knox, to follow reopening plans from local health departments. Knox will remain in Phase 2 of its reopening plan for two weeks, before aligning with the state’s.
  • June 16: Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed an executive order allowing nursing homes may accept visitors on a limited basis beginning June 15. Facilities can only reopen if all staff and residents have been tested at least once and there have been no new coronavirus cases in the previous 28 days.
  • June 10: Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced that limited visitation to nursing homes and long-term care facilities can resume June 15. Facilities that reopen will need to have tested all residents and staff at least once.
  • June 9: The Tennessee Department of Education released guidance for reopening schools in August. The document does not require Tennessee school districts to adopt any particular approach but provides suggestions and best practices for safely reopening, including requiring students and staff to wear masks and setting staggered schedules.
  • June 8: Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) Economic Recovery Group The Economic Recovery Group assembled by Gov. Bill Lee (R) released updated guidelines for close contact business, exercise facilities, non-contact recreation, and large venues and community events, including attractions. The new guidelines for close contact businesses, exercise facilities, and recreation emphasize social distancing rather than capacity limits. For attractions, large venues, and community events, including fairs, organizers should reduce occupancy to allow for social distancing and encourage face coverings.

May 2020

  • May 28: Gov. Bill Lee's (R) Economic Recovery Group released new and updated guidelines for noncontact sports, overnight camps, and higher education that address appropriate safety precautions.
  • May 22: Capacity restrictions for retailers businesses and restaurants were lifted on May 22 in 89 counties. Large attractions and venues are also allowed to reopen in those counties with restrictions, per updated guidelines released May 20.
  • May 15: Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced that beginning on or after May 22, he will lift some restrictions on restaurants, retail, and large attraction venues like amusement parts and theaters across much of the state. Six Tennessee counties, including Shelby and Knox counties, are following county-specific plans and won’t be impacted by these changes. Lee said new guidelines would be released next week.
  • May 13: Gov. Bill Lee (R) extended Tennessee’s State of Emergency declaration through June 30. It had been scheduled to expire on May 18, and originally went into effect March 12. Tennessee's stay-at-home order expired on April 30.
  • May 1: Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced that the state’s Economic Recovery Group, made up of government and private sector leaders, had released guidelines for businesses set to reopen on May 6 in 89 of the state’s 95 counties. The guidance, which applies to close contact businesses like barbershops and tattoo studios, includes best practices for social distancing and health screening. Tennessee is a Republican trifecta.

April 2020

  • April 27: Tennessee allowed restaurants to open at 50% occupancy Monday, and retailers will be allowed to open at 50% occupancy Wednesday. Gov. Bill Lee's (R) guidelines apply to 89 of the state's 95 counties. Counties with their own health departments have their own reopening plans. Tennessee is a Republican trifecta.


Vaccine distribution

This section contains a table of quick facts on the state’s vaccine distribution plan and a timeline of noteworthy events, including updates on vaccine availability for new groups of individuals, changes to state distribution plans, and much more. If you know of a noteworthy story we are missing, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

The Tennessee Department of Health released a distribution plan on December 2, 2020.

Quick facts

Tennessee state vaccination plan quick information
What governing entities are responsible for vaccine allocation and distribution?[1] Tennessee Department of Health
Where can I find a quick breakdown of phases in my state? COVID-19 vaccine phases
Where can I find the distribution plan? COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
When was the plan first released to the public? December 2, 2020
When was the plan most recently updated? March 8, 2021
Where can I find answers to frequently asked questions? Tennessee Department of Health Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for COVID-19 Vaccine Providers
Where can I find data related to the coronavirus in my state? Epidemiology and Surveillance Data
Where is the state health department's homepage? Tennessee Department of Health
Where can I find additional information about the state's vaccine distribution? The COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan in Tennessee - AARP

Timeline

  • April 5, 2021: Tennessee residents 16 and older became eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine.[2]
  • March 22, 2021: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced that residents 16 and older would become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine April 5.[3]
  • February 10, 2021: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced the state would partner with Walmart to expedite the distribution of vaccines throughout the state.[4]

School reopenings and closures

See also: School responses in Tennessee to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Schools in Tennessee were closed to in-person instruction on March 20, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. To notify us of when schools were allowed to reopen statewide, email us. The timeline below lists statewide responses we tracked.

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Tennessee.[5][6]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Tennessee .[7][8]
  • August 12, 2020: Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said that the Tennessee Department of Education was encouraging school districts to mandate face coverings for middle and high school students.[9]
  • July 28, 2020: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) released guidelines for reopening schools. The recommendations covered testing and contact tracing, immunizations, and resources necessary for returning students to classrooms or teaching remotely.[10]
  • June 8, 2020: The Tennessee Department of Education released guidance for reopening schools in August. The document did not require Tennessee school districts to adopt any particular approach but provided suggestions and best practices for safely reopening, including requiring students and staff to wear masks and setting staggered schedules.[11]


  • April 15, 2020: Lee recommended that schools close for the remainder of the academic year. Schools in the state were previously ordered closed from March 20 through April 24.[12]
  • March 25, 2020: The Tennessee Department of Education announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end March 31, was extended through April 24.[13]
  • March 16, 2020: Lee urged schools across the state to close as early as possible. He said that all schools should close no later than March 20 and remain closed through March 31.[14]

Statewide travel restrictions

See also: Travel restrictions issued by states in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021


As of September 7, 2021, Tennessee had not issued any travel restrictions.

More information can be found at the State of Tennessee's Department of Tourist Development.


Statewide mask requirements

See also: State-level mask requirements in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


Tennessee did not issue a statewide mask requirement.


Noteworthy lawsuits

See also: Lawsuits about state actions and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

Ballotpedia has not covered any noteworthy lawsuits in this state. Click the link above to see noteworthy lawsuits filed in response to the coronavirus pandemic in other states.

Officials and candidates diagnosed with or quarantined due to coronavirus

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

The table below lists officials or candidates who have been diagnosed with or quarantined due to coronavirus. The most recent announcements appear first.

Name Office Date Status
Jim Strickland Mayor of Memphis September 10, 2021 Strickland announced he tested positive for COVID-19. He said he was fully vaccinated at the time he contracted the virus.[15]
Jon Lundberg Tennessee State Senate District 4 May 14, 2021 Lundberg announced on May 14, 2021, that he tested positive for COVID-19.[16]
Lamar Alexander U.S. Senate Tennessee May 11, 2020 Alexander announced he would self-quarantine for 14 days after a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19. According to his chief of staff, Alexander tested negative for the virus on May 7.[17]
Kent Calfee Tennessee House of Representatives District 32 July 7, 2020 Calfee announced on Facebook that he and his wife tested positive for coronavirus.[18]
Ed Jackson Tennessee State Senate District 27 January 21, 2021 Jackson announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus.[19]
David Kustoff U.S. House Tennessee District 8 January 19, 2021 Kustoff announced that he would self-quarantine after a possible exposure to COVID-19.[20]
Charles Fleischmann U.S. House Tennessee District 3 January 10, 2021 Fleischmann announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus.[21]
David Byrd (Tennessee) Tennessee House of Representatives District 71 December 6, 2020 Byrd was hospitalized and diagnosed with COVID-19.[22]
Bill Beck (Tennessee) Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 August 27, 2020 Beck announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.[23]
Mike Carter (Tennessee representative) Tennessee House of Representatives District 29 August 16, 2020 Rep. Jeremy Faison (R), Chairman of the House Republican Caucus, told Republican members of the House that Carter had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in an email.[24]


Paths to recovery by state

To read about other states’ responses and recoveries, click one of the links below:

Other state government responses

To view previous coverage areas, including changes to 2020 election dates and policies, initial stay-at-home orders, coronavirus-related legislation, and much more, click a state in the map below.

https://ballotpedia.org/Government_responses_to_and_political_effects_of_the_coronavirus_pandemic,_2020_(STATE)

General resources

The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named section7
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TN45
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TN322
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TN210
  5. ↑ Burbio rated Tennessee's in-person index at 96.9. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  6. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  7. ↑ Burbio rated Tennessee's in-person index between 60-80. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  8. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  9. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Tennessee Department of Education recommends middle, high school students wear masks," August 12, 2020
  10. ↑ Governor of Tennessee, "Gov. Lee Unveils Safe Reopening Plan for Tennessee Schools," July 28, 2020
  11. ↑ Chalkbeat, "Tennessee releases guidance for reopening school during coronavirus pandemic," June 8, 2020
  12. ↑ WATE, "Coronavirus in Tennessee: Gov. Lee recommends school districts to remain closed for the rest of the school year," April 15, 2020
  13. ↑ WDEF, "School Closing Updates," March 25, 2020
  14. ↑ WREG, "Governor Bill Lee announces statewide closure of schools," March 16, 2020
  15. ↑ Associated Press, "Memphis mayor tests positive for COVID-19," September 11, 2021
  16. ↑ WJHL, "Tenn. Sen. Lundberg speaks out after contracting COVID following vaccination: ‘Go get the shots, they’re available, there’s no cost’," May 14, 2021
  17. ↑ CNN, "Sen. Lamar Alexander to self-quarantine after staffer tests positive for coronavirus," May 11, 2020
  18. ↑ WKRN, "TN Rep. Kent Calfee tests positive for COIVD-19," July 10, 2020
  19. ↑ WATE, "Tennessee senator tests positive for COVID-19 during session," January 22, 2021
  20. ↑ Tennessean, "U.S. Rep. David Kustoff quarantining due to COVID-19 exposure," January 19, 2021
  21. ↑ News Channel 5, "Tennessee Congressman Chuck Fleischmann tests positive for COVID-19," January 10, 2021
  22. ↑ Wate, "Rep. David Byrd hospitalized with COVID-19," December 7, 2020
  23. ↑ WKRN, "Tennessee Rep. Bill Beck tests positive for COVID-19," August 27, 2020
  24. ↑ TNJ: On the Hill, "Rep. Carter hospitalized with COVID-19," August 16, 2020
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