NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Phase 3 of Nashville’s reopening plan has been postponed after an uptick in new COVID-19 cases
According to state data, there were more new COVID-19 cases reported in Tennessee last week than any other week.
This comes after businesses started to reopen, Memorial Day, and protests. Thousands of people turned out for marches across the mid-state where there was little social distancing.
Dr. Alex Jahangir with Metro’s Coronavirus Task Force said phase 3 is on hold and Nashville will stay in phase 2 for now.
“A rolling average of new cases have an uptick with this morning’s average being 98 and 2 weeks ago the number was 87,” Jahangir said, “This doesn’t mean that we’re regressing, this doesn’t mean that we’re going back to phase 1, it just means we’re staying at status quo for just a little bit longer.”
At Verticity Indoor Cycling, Lindsay Brooker said she didn’t want to reopen in phase 2 as a fitness studio because she was waiting to see how things played out. “For us obviously our bikes are very close together, we’ve done that in a very intentional way so that as we are riding, and as we are collectively in this space moving together, it can feel like a very strong energy.”
Now that phase 3 is postponed Lindsay said she’s changing her plans. She’s now trying to reopen in a couple weeks.
“So for us we’re actually only going to make every other bike to be booked, and we will continue to do that until we feel like it is truly safety to start to reopen all of the bikes,” Brooker said.
Phase 3 would have allowed gyms and fitness studios to be at 75% capacity.
In addition, bars that don’t serve food and small music venues would have been able to reopen with limitations. Now, everything is on hold for them again.
“Ultimately this will all come back together the way that it’s supposed to come back together,” Brooker said.
According to Dr. Jahangir, there’s still plenty of ICU space and hospital beds. 421 people in Tennessee have died from COVID-19 as of June 8th.
