Order 7 from the Chief Medical Director was issued on June 22, 2020, outlining phase three reopening for Nashville and Davidson County and was amended and restated on June 29, 2020. Social distancing and other precautions had slowed the rate at which COVID-19 was spreading. However, the threat of a return to significant increases in numbers remained and unfortunately occurred.
Order 9 from the Chief Medical Director issued on July 3, 2020, paused phase three and implemented a hybrid phase two. Order 9 from the Chief Medical Director was amended three times to further protect public health.
Order 12 from the Chief Medical Director was issued on August 16, 2020, continuing a hybrid phase two. To further protect public health, Order 12 was amended twice.
On August 8, 2020, the Chief Medical Director issued Order 10 implementing conditions applicable in certain geographic areas in Nashville. Since its issuance, Order 10 has been amended and restated three times to further protect public health.
Nashville’s substantial and sustained effort has reduced our new COVID-19 cases to a lower level than seen through much of the summer. Although the surge in numbers has fallen, epidemiologists and infectious disease experts agree that in the absence of strict social distancing and wearing cloth face coverings or masks, numbers would once again surge. COVID-19 will continue to be a serious threat until there is an effective vaccine or more effective therapeutic treatments. Experts estimate that we will not have a COVID-19 vaccine until 2021 at the earliest. For the foreseeable future, living with COVID-19 continues to be our new “normal.”
Living with COVID-19 means finding ways for our city to return to work with COVID-19 still circulating. The Roadmap for Reopening Nashville (Roadmap) presented a framework for a four-phase reopening reflecting the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee and distinctive needs in Nashville. The Roadmap with modifications provides ways for our city to continue to return to work with COVID-19 still circulating.
Though there have been improvements with compliance, Metropolitan Government employees, inspectors, and law enforcement officers continue to observe practices by citizens and visitors to Nashville that contribute to or cause violations of the Chief Medical Director’s orders and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on wearing cloth face coverings, social distancing, hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Nevertheless, based on considerations contained in the Roadmap, the moderation in numbers in Nashville and Davidson County, the origin of clusters of COVID-19 infections, and improved compliance it is appropriate to enter again phase three reopening with conditions applicable in certain geographic areas in Nashville.
Accordingly, the Third Amended and Restated Order 10 from the Chief Medical Director is being further amended and restated to protect public health.
Notwithstanding Section 4 in Order 12 from the Chief Medical Director issued on September 30, 2020, the following conditions apply in the geographic areas in Nashville depicted on the maps attached hereto as Exhibit A, such areas covering Downtown and Midtown:
- No person while in or on a street, alley, sidewalk, parking lot, parking garage or other outdoors area generally open to the public, except a location where a special event permit is in place, shall: 1. consume beer, ale, wine or other alcoholic beverage; or 2. have in their possession beer, ale, wine or other alcoholic beverage in an open container. Notwithstanding any definition of “premises,” these prohibitions apply to all such areas in the Central Improvement District.
- An individual, entity or organization that holds a license as a Limited Service Restaurant (defined in T.C.A. § 57-4-102(22)) issued by the Tennessee ABC may operate at up to 100 patrons per floor and 100 patrons outdoors, the number of patrons on premises not to exceed 50% of the maximum capacity authorized by Tennessee’s Building and Fire Code, provided the establishment equally distributes patrons throughout the entire amount of indoors space and complies with the conditions listed in the subsequent bullet point.
- An individual, entity, or organization whose primary business is food service (any food service establishment as defined in T.C.A. § 68-14-703(9)) except those subject to the provisions in the preceding paragraph may operate at up to 100 patrons per floor and 100 patrons outdoors, the number of patrons on premises not to exceed 50% of the maximum capacity authorized by Tennessee’s Building and Fire Code, provided the business equally distributes patrons throughout the entire amount of space, and subject to the following conditions:
- Adherence by employees and patrons to CDC guidance on hand sanitizing and social distancing. Tables or booths shall be arranged or closed to provide sufficient space between parties to comply with CDC guidance on social distancing, which may be accomplished through barriers or partitions between individuals or parties.
- Customers and guests shall follow Order 8 from the Chief Medical Director by wearing cloth face coverings or masks, except when seated and consuming food or beverage.
- Customers and guests shall remain seated, except when entering or exiting the premises, or walking to or from the restroom.
- No party of more than six people shall be allowed.
- Screen daily all employees with temperature and symptoms checks. An employee with symptoms or temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater must leave the premises immediately.
- Post information about health precautions for patrons, employees and staff (such as maintaining proper social distancing while lining up for entry or checkout).
- Automate doors to the extent possible.
- Limit the number of people in an elevator to allow compliance with CDC guidance on social distancing.
- Provide hand sanitizer to the extent possible, including at all entrances.
- Advise employees to not come to work if they feel ill or have any symptom until the employee satisfies CDC guidance for release from isolation or quarantine.
- Social distancing must be maintained in kitchens and dining rooms.
- Bar counter areas may open to the public at 50% or less of seated counter capacity and in addition must follow CDC guidance on social distancing between parties. The bar may be used to prepare and service orders from patrons seated elsewhere. No customer is allowed to stand at the bar.
- An age-restricted venue should prohibit smoking throughout its premises due to COVID-19’s effects on the human respiratory system and the impact smoking has on lung capacity and the body’s ability to heal.
- Live music or entertainment is allowed, subject to the conditions set out in Exhibit B attached hereto.
- No self-serve food or condiment station shall be allowed. Water fountains and no-touch beverage filling stations are allowed.
- All surfaces shall be sanitized after each party’s use.
- Use disposable, virtual or no-touch menus to the extent possible.
- Employees shall follow Order 8 from the Chief Medical Director by wearing cloth face coverings or masks when preparing food or beverage or physically interacting with the public or other employees.
- Alcohol for on-premises consumption may be served only to seated customers.
- No ancillary or participatory activities including, but not limited to, arcade games, pool, foosball, darts, axe throwing, amusement rides, laser tag, or similar activities shall be allowed.
- All customers shall be off premises and the premise closed to the public between 11:00 p.m. CDT and 5:00 a.m. CDT.
- Alcoholic beverages may be sold for consumption on premises, but customers shall not be allowed to remove those beverages from the premises. Services for the preparation of food or non-alcoholic beverages, receiving call-in orders, providing take-out, window, drive-through or curb-side service, and off-premises delivery and sale of prepared food or non-alcoholic beverages, remain open and may continue to operate after 11:00 p.m. CDT, subject to any applicable federal, state, or local laws. The sale of alcohol is prohibited, except when sold for consumption on premises or for off-premises delivery.
- Bars that hold an on-premise beer permit but do not hold a license issued by the Tennessee ABC may operate at up to 100 patrons per floor and 100 patrons outdoors, the total number of patrons on premise not to exceed 50% of the maximum capacity authorized by Tennessee’s Building and Fire Code, provided the establishment equally distributes patrons throughout the entire amount of indoors space and complies with the conditions listed in the preceding bullet point.
Violations of this Order shall be subject to civil and criminal penalties.
If any provision, sentence, clause, phrase, or word, of this Order or any application of it to any individual, business, or circumstance is held to be invalid by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, then such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of this Order.
This Fourth Amended and Restated Order 10 from the Chief Medical Director is hereby issued and effective at 11:59 p.m. CDT on September 30, 2020 and shall remain in effect through 11:59 p.m. CDT on November 1, 2020, subject to extension.
Date: September 30, 2020
Michael C. Caldwell, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Director of Health