NEWS BRIEFS

Governor extends COVID-19 State of Emergency

Gov. Bill Lee has extended the COVID-19 State of Emergency executive order through Sept. 30.

An addendum to the order adds that counties can “facilitate the continued treatment and containment of COVID-19 through regulatory flexibility, promoting social distancing and wearing face coverings in public places, and protecting vulnerable populations.”

The order does the following:

• Urge persons to wear a cloth face covering in places where in close proximity to others, while facilitating local decision-making concerning face covering requirements;

• Urge social distancing and limit social and recreational gatherings of 50 or more persons, unless adequate social distancing can be maintained;

• Limit nursing home and long-term care facility visitation, while providing a framework for safe, limited visitation, and continue the closure of senior centers;

• Provide that employers and businesses are expected to comply with the Governor’s Economic Recovery

Group Guidelines (e.g., Tennessee Pledge) for operating safely (the six counties with locally run county health departments have authority to issue different directives on businesses/venues);

• Provide that bars may only serve customers seated at appropriately spaced tables and must follow the

Economic Recovery Group Guidelines (e.g., Tennessee Pledge) for restaurants (the six counties with locally run county health departments have authority to issue different directives on businesses/ venues);

• Continue access to take-out alcohol sales to encourage carryout and delivery orders;

• Allow broad access to telehealth services;

• Increase opportunities for people to easily join the healthcare workforce;

• Facilitate increased testing and health care capacity;

• Extend deadlines and suspend certain in-person continuing education, gathering, or inspection requirements to avoid unnecessary person-to-person contact; and

• Increase opportunities to work remotely where appropriate.

Community Oversight Board and MHRC to host townhalls on community safety

The Community Oversight Board and the Metro Human Relations Commission have partnered together to conduct several virtual community safety townhall meetings

over the next few weeks. The purpose of these meetings is to hear from Nashville residents what they would like to see in a chief of police and public safety in their communities.

“At our first community townhall, we had several members of the community from across Nashville and Davidson County offer sincere thoughts and concerns,” shares MHRC Chair Dr. Marisa Richmond. “This feedback is quite useful, and we encourage more to take advantage of this unique opportunity to share about your desire for the future of public safety.”

The first townhall meeting was held on Monday, Aug. 24 and included public comment from residents who live in Donelson, Sylvan Park, Goodlettsville, Old Hickory and the Bellevue area – to name a few. A second was held on Aug. 31.

“The intentional inclusion of voices from the marginalized communities of Nashville during this search process is the only way for the next leader of the MNPD to be successful,” says COB Past Chairperson Ashlee Davis. “These forums exist so that the diverse perspectives of Nashville residents will be heard with no filter or script. People need to believe in their elected and appointed leaders and that doesn’t happen unless they feel valued and heard and that’s exactly why these forums are being held.”

Judge says TN election officials must make mail-in rules clear

A judge says Tennessee election officials must communicate clearly on absentee ballot applications that people can vote by mail if they have health concerns due to COVID-19.

Election officials told the Tennessee Supreme Court this month that they would inform voters about that eligibility, asserting for the first time that underlying health conditions could qualify someone to vote absentee under their plan.

“A prospective voter looking at the Form has absolutely no way of knowing that the Tennessee Supreme Court has held that if the voter determines for himself/herself that he/she has a ‘special vulnerability to COVID-19’ or is a ‘caretaker’ of such a person, he/she is eligible to vote via absentee ballot during the November election,” the judge ruled in late August.

The order says the state had until Aug. 31 to change the form, and until Sept. 1 to pass information along to county election officials.