The administration remains focused on providing a high-performing government for citizens that is nimble, flexible, and capable of meeting the challenges of this pandemic. Therefore, the City of Chattanooga is taking some bold new steps to ensure the health and safety of our staff and our community as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to infect communities across Tennessee and around the world.
TN Pledge Reopening FAQs
On Friday, April 24, Governor Bill Lee released the Tennessee Pledge, which is his plan for reopening the state's economy safely. The plan can be accessed at TNpledge.com.
Hamilton County Health Department has exclusive jurisdiction over when local businesses reopen, per an April 24 executive order from Governor Lee. Our understanding at this point is that the Health Department will follow the Governor’s recommendations as closely as possible. , which means we no longer have jurisdiction over when businesses reopen.
Under Gov. Lee’s Executive Order 29, he announced that all local orders are no longer valid.
Yes, Governor Lee’s shelter-in-place order lifts on Friday, May 1, which means the Mayor’s order will also lift then too.
That can be found at TNpledge.com. Or call the Hamilton County Health Department at (423) 209-8383.
- As of Monday, April 27: Restaurants can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Wednesday, April 29: Retail can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Friday, May 1: Gyms and fitness centers can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Wednesday, May 6: Close-contact businesses, such as but not limited to salons, spas, tattoo shops, dental offices, and barbershops.
The reopening timeline is now up to the Governor and the Hamilton County Health Department. The Governor’s plan can be found at TNpledge.com.
The City will do our best to communicate these reopening phases with the public as we learn them from the State. Right now we know that guidance for churches, gyms, dental offices, and elective medical procedures will come later this week.
- As of Monday, April 27: Restaurants can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Wednesday, April 29: Retail can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Friday, May 1: Gyms and fitness centers can open at 50% capacity.
- As of Wednesday, May 6: Close-contact businesses, such as but not limited to salons, spas, tattoo shops, dental offices, and barbershops.
- For full details the Governor’s plan can be found at TN.gov or reach out to Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger’s office (423) 209-6100 or Hamilton County Health Department at (423) 209-8383.
- The reopening timeline is now up to the Governor and the Hamilton County Health Department. The Governor’s plan can be found at TNpledge.com.
- The City will do our best to communicate these reopening phases with the public as we learn them from the State.
- The City is partnering with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce to old reopening webinars for employers who want subject-matter expert advice on safely reopening during this time. You can watch previous webinars or register for new ones at cha.city/covidreopen.
Yes. As of Friday, May 1 all city-owned public spaces -- like Coolidge Park, the Walnut Street Bridge and Stringers Ridge -- are open. For questions about County-owned spaces you’ll need to call Hamilton County at (423) 209-6100.
Yes. As of Friday, May 1, under Governor Bill Lee’s guidelines, gyms and fitness centers can open at 50% capacity. The Governor’s guidelines for gyms and exercise facilities can be found here.
When businesses reopen, they must conduct business in such a way to protect the health and safety of the community, employees, vendors, and the general public. This includes compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf) and other applicable state and federal workplace rules. Each workplace is different and its needs and ability to comply with social distancing and other hygienic measures will vary from industry to industry and business to business. OSHA is in the best position to assess a particular operation’s compliance with its Guidance. You may contact the local TN OSHA office at (901) 543-7259.
Yes, call the Health Department’s hotline at (423) 209-8383 or visit their website to learn more.
The City is working on a plan to reopen some buildings to public access. Right now we are looking at data to decide when that would be advisable to do.
As people return to work, we understand that people need reliable, safe, high-quality childcare. The City of Chattanooga’s Office of Early Learning is working with early-learning providers on the best ways to safely reopen. But, yes, under Governor Lee’s orders childcare can operate. It is up to the provider at this time when they chose to reopen. We urge providers to develop policies and practices using the CDC guidelines, and stay in close contact with your Program Evaluator and the Hamilton County Department of Health for updated best practices related to the health and safety of children and staff.
For more information email OELinfo@chattanooga.gov.
Hamilton County Schools announced that schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year at this point. For more information about schools visit, www.hcde.org/coronavirus.
Governor Lee has said it is up to individual places of worship on when they should resume in-person services. His list of guidelines can be found here. However, we strongly encourage residents to attend virtual or drive-in church services if possible.
General FAQS
December 31, 2019
First positive COVID-19 case confirmed in Wuhan province of China.
March 5, 2020
First positive COVID-19 case confirmed in Tennessee.
March 11, 2020
The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was a pandemic.
March 12, 2020
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declared a State of Emergency to deploy additional resources to combat the spread of the virus.
March 13, 2020
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke signs executive order 2020-01, establishing a Communicable Disease Policy for the City of Chattanooga and declaring a state of emergency in Chattanooga, as allowed under the provisions of TCA 58-8-104.
March 19, 2020
Mayor Andy Berke signs executive order 2020-02, suspending dine-in services at bars and restaurants and closing gyms and fitness centers within Chattanooga city limits.
March 20, 2020
Mayor Andy Berke signed Executive Order 2020-03, which provides the mayor with additional emergency management powers during a period of civil emergency, particularly related to obtaining equipment, materials, and supplies for emergency response purposes.
March 23, 2020
Mayor Andy Berke signed Executive Order 2020-04, which closes additional businesses that cannot implement social distancing practices and prohibits mass gatherings of ten or more people.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KEEP CHATTANOOGANS SAFE?
As of Friday, March 25, 2020, Mayor Berke:
- Has closed businesses that cannot implement social distancing practice, including all indoor common areas and interior retail shops within shopping centers and malls, Salons, beauty shops, and barbershops, Massage parlors, spas, tanning salons, and tattoo parlors.
- Suspended dine-in service at restaurants and bars and closed gyms. In accordance with Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order No. 17, delivery and takeout of food and alcohol are permitted.
- Implemented additional social distancing and telecommunity policies within city government, which reduced the workforce to 100 percent working from home. This does not apply to fire, police, or sanitation.
- Appointed Katie Wells, his senior policy advisor, to coordinate the office’s response, including working with our regional governmental partners and other community stakeholders to track the situation and ensure that our response is properly aligned with Hamilton County Government, the State of Tennessee, and federal government agencies.
- Suspended public access and activities at the City’s Youth & Family Development Centers, Chattanooga Library branches, and Eastgate Senior Center, effective close of business today.
- Suspended public events at the Tivoli Theatre, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium, Walker Theatre, and Finley Stadium.
- Changed the event permitting policy to indefinitely suspended the approval of permits for public gatherings.
- Restricted travel for all city employees unless deemed absolutely essential.
- Implemented the Continuity of Operations Plans (COOPs) as prepared by the City’s Administrators under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer.
- The COOPs allow for a rolling telecommuting policy to reduce the number of employees in city offices and facilities at any given time. The City of Chattanooga is committed to paying those who are working from home either by City mandate or because of any necessary quarantine.
- Core services such as trash and brush pickup, police and fire services will not be reduced.
- Payment of property taxes, sewer fees, and other financial transactions will still be conducted on the first floor of City Hall, which will remain open during normal business hours at this time.
- The filing of permits and development review will remain open, at this time, at the Development Resource Center (DRC).
Yes. City Hall will remain open to the public during regular business hours at this time. However, as City of Chattanooga employees are practicing social distancing and many working remotely, we encourage Chattanoogans to do the same by utilizing many of our services online or via the phone. This means submitting payments to the Treasury Department online or over the phone, or making an open records request with the City Attorney, or submitting a 311 request. A full list of City facility closures and online services can be found at https://connect.chattanooga.gov/covid/covid-19-city-closures/.
As of right now, these changes are in effect as of the close of business today (March 13, 2020) and will continue indefinitely. City leadership will meet daily to assess the status of COVID-19 and make additional operational adjustments as needed.
CARTA has taken numerous steps to protect their employees and patrons, including:
- Using an additional disinfectant fogger in all vehicles that lasts for 48 hours.
- Additional daily cleaning of buses, including using heavier disinfectant cleaner and commercial-strength Lysol wipes on all commonly touched surfaces
- Additional cleanings of bus stops and transit shelters with commercial-strength disinfectants
- Distributing extra quantities of these products in the garages and common areas
- Distributing additional hand sanitizer to all bus operators and other staff
At this time, no interruptions to CARTA service are anticipated but please know this may change. Contact CARTA staff or visit GoCarta.org for additional information about their operations.
Yes. Mayor Berke, Ms. Wells, and Chief Operating Officer Maura Sullivan spoke several times yesterday with top officials in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health yesterday, all of whom were supportive of these actions and anything else we can do to encourage social distancing.
We are in constant contact with Mayor Coppinger and officials at the Hamilton County Health Department about the status of COVID-19 and their own operational and service delivery decisions.
Please visit the Tennessee Department of Health’s COVID-19 update web page for the most up to date information.
The spread of the disease is most effectively slowed by social distancing and reducing interactions among dense groups of people. The most responsible thing we can do right now is encourage people to refrain from close social interaction, while also asking them to wash their hands, disinfect hard surfaces, cover their mouth/noses when they cough/sneeze, and seek medical care if they feel sick. Taking these steps now reduce the risk of further infections or contamination, which helps our doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
Mayor Berke will continue to monitor this situation and will make additional administrative adjustments to the City’s operations, facilities, and delivery of services as needed to protect employees and the public. Daily briefing meetings will be held and operational decisions will be revisited on a weekly basis. City staff will continue to use a variety of communications methods to keep our employees and the general public informed. These include a webpage, the City’s various social media channels, text messages, robocalls, signage on public buildings, and outreach to the local media. The safety and health of our community and employees are the top priority and we appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.
Children. We know that many children and families rely on our YFD centers for more than after-school programming. They are vital resources for tutoring help, fitness, and in many cases, regular meals. We are working with our partners in the philanthropic, nonprofit, and faith communities on plans to continue providing as many of these resources as possible, given the limitations we’re putting into place. We will be providing more guidance to our staff and the families they serve in the days ahead and intend to reopen our YFD centers and resume after-school programming as soon as it is safe to do so.
Senior citizens. All available data about COVID-19 indicates that it is especially dangerous for individuals over the age of 59, so keeping our senior population safe by enforcing social distancing is a top concern. All of our decisions here are informed by the direct guidance of the AARP and other public health experts. We are frequent contact with the Chattanooga Housing Authority and the property managers of our other senior housing towers and have asked them to take extraordinary precautions in cleaning and disinfecting their facilities, as well as regular checking-in on senior residents to reduce loneliness and monitor their health. We intend to reopen our senior center and resume senior programming as soon as it is safe to do so.
Individuals experiencing homelessness. Our Homeless Navigators will follow their own COOP, which will include rotating duty shifts to deliver all critical services. Outreach workers will take the direction of our community partners with regard to how they can safely interact with individuals who may be in need of housing.
At this time, the City Council and Office of City Attorney are seeking additional guidance from the State’s Office of Open Records Counsel to ensure that future meetings may be conducted in a way that minimizes risk to the public while also allowing for full transparency in city business.
It is impossible to determine how these decisions will affect our city or country’s long-term economic health, but we of course expect that sales tax revenue in particular will be decreased as a result of the virus. The City of Chattanooga has a very healthy reserve fund and we will absolutely be able to maintain operations, even while the COOPs are being implemented, for the foreseeable future.
Yes, we anticipate no interruption in the business of our Purchasing Department or procurement and accounts receivable activities.
Late last week, Congress authorized a package of $8.3 billion to combat the spread of the virus -- one of the largest emergency appropriations in history. Those funds will be put to use in a variety of ways including:
- $3.1 billion to be used by the Secretary of Health & Human Services for rapid response expenses
- $950 million for state and local health departments
- $300 million to fund the development of vaccines and other treatments
- $1.25 billion to support our international partners in their efforts to slow the virus
As of this morning, we know that Congress is deliberating on additional measures to support hourly workers, small businesses, and public health agencies. We are waiting to see exactly how much of that money, if any, will make it to Chattanooga.
EPB and TN American Water have agreed to suspend service disconnections.
Nothing slows the spread of COVID-19 as effectively as social isolation, as frustrating as it may be. Please continue to refrain from larger public gatherings. Stay home if you feel sick and call your primary care provider before coming to a walk-in clinic or emergency room. Wash your hands, disinfect hard surfaces, and avoid physical contact.