City and County Leaders Outline a Local Business Reopening Plan. To read the full reopening plan, go here.
Knoxville, Tennessee—Knox County and the City of Knoxville will begin a gradual, phased-in reopening of businesses Friday, May 1, 2020. The collaborative plan emerged after extensive work from a joint City/County Task Force convened by the Knox County Health Department.
Dr. Martha Buchanan, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon unveiled the plan during a news conference in the Main Assembly room of the City/County Building Monday morning.
The plan highlights the fact that the community will not be immediately returning to a pre-pandemic “normal,” but instead outlines a 3-phase approach to reopening. Each phase will last a minimum of 28 days.
This plan also emphasizes 5 core actions all individuals are being asked to adhere to throughout the reopening process:
Practice Physical Distancing
Wear Cloth Face Coverings
Practice Proper Handwashing
Clean/Sanitize Surfaces
Stay Home if SickPhase one of the three-part plan, which goes into effect Friday, May 1, will allow most businesses to open with strict social distancing guidelines in place. The list includes, but is not limited to:
Daycares
Restaurants
Salons
Spas
Retail Stores
Gyms
Places of WorshipEach business has specific, stringent protocols to follow.
The full plan also includes benchmarks that will be evaluated throughout each phase, a collaborative community process to help determine business protocols in future phases and a certificate program to recognize businesses that have successfully taken the safety measures spelled out by the task force.