Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said Friday he will not renew the Covid-19 state of emergency.
Lee extended the state of emergency for the last time on November 5th. While he’s not renewing it at this time, Lee said he may reinstate it if the need arises.
“I am not renewing the Covid-19 state of emergency that expires tonight,” Lee said in a statement Friday morning. “For almost 20 months, this tool has provided deregulation and operational flexibility for hospitals and industries most affected by Covid’s challenges.
“Should our state face any future surges, we will consider temporarily reinstating this tool, but in the meantime, we are evaluating opportunities for permanent deregulation.”
Lee signed the original order on March 12th, 2020. The state of emergency allowed for different kinds of vehicles to transport medical equipment, it allowed for temporary health care facilities to be built, it stopped price-gouging on medical supplies, and allowed health care professionals greater latitude to treat those with Covid, in addition to other measures.
