Three things for April 15
1. Tennessee safer-at-home order extended
We're not out of the woods yet.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 14, 2020
We need every Tennessean to take this seriously, remain at home, and ensure we save lives. #TNStayApart pic.twitter.com/xVy59oSKpg
On Monday, Gov. Bill Lee extended Tennessee’s “safer-at-home” order until the end of April with plans to lift it on May 1. While the original order was placed until April 14, Gov. Lee announced Monday his official extension on the order.
“It’s clear that our economy cannot stay shutdown for months on end,” Gov. Lee said in the announcement. “We need Tennesseans to go back to work, but we also need everyone to recognize that physical distancing must continue for the foreseeable future.”
Gov. Lee said a number of things must be in order to reopen the economy in May, including broader testing, use of PPE and continuing safe social distancing.
“Between now and then we’ll create industry-specific guidance so that businesses can fully be prepared to operate safely and to protect their employees and their customers,” Gov. Lee said.
Gov. Lee shared he has plans to phase-in the reopening of the economy and is finalizing with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell as to which businesses will be included in the first phasing-in process on May 1.
2. Obama endorses Biden for president
On Tuesday morning, Former President Barack Obama tweeted a video, confirming his support and endorsement for presidential candidate Joe Biden. During the 12-minute-long video, the former president relayed how the COVID-19 pandemic confirms the country is in need of better leadership.
“Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery,” Obama said in the video.
The support comes from a three-year long hiatus from presidential politics for Obama, and one day after former candidate Bernie Sanders announced his endorsement of Biden.
Biden responded to Obama’s video by saying, “Barack — This endorsement means the world to Jill and me. We’re going to build on the progress we made together, and there’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side.”
3. Tour de France postponed
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced restrictions for public events are to continue until mid-July, causing the long-anticipated Tour de France to be postponed until late summer.
“Given that it’s now impossible that the Tour starts at its planned date, we are consulting with the [International Cycling Union] to try and find new dates,” Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) said in a statement earlier Tuesday.
The three-week event was scheduled to start on June 27 and last until July 19. ASO has not officially commented on new dates for the race, but French newspapers reported late Tuesday new dates have been set, hoping to last from August 29 until September 20.
