NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Sunday, Mayor John Cooper announced a “Safer At Home” order for Nashville residents.
The order closes non-essential businesses and encourages residents throughout Davidson County to stay home when possible and avoid gatherings of over 10 people for non-essential purposes.
In addition, all businesses not performing essential services have been ordered to close for 14 days, starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 23. A list of essential service categories can be found here.
The Metro Public Health Department also announced there are now 171 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Davidson County, with 151 of those cases still active.
Twenty-seven people who had the virus have since recovered, while two people have died. One death was a 73-year-old man with underlying health conditions.
The other death was a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with underlying health conditions, according to VUMC. Two other individuals are hospitalized while the remaining 149 cases are self-isolating at home.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following statement regarding Mayor Cooper's "Safer At Home" order:
“With the number of cases of COVID-19 rising rapidly, Nashvillians need to take every step now to slow the spread of the virus - to preserve precious healthcare resources to care for those who will soon need them. Mayor Cooper’s Safer at Home Order will save lives. By following the order, we can reduce the number of people who need hospitalization all at once, enabling us to manage the coming COVID-19 patients while also serving people with many other conditions, like heart disease and cancer, who will continue to need us," said Jeff Balser, President of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Cases by sex:
- Male: 68
- Female: 79
- Unknown: 32
Health officials remind everyone to take steps to stop the spread of germs like COVID-19. These include:
- Practice social distancing as defined by the CDC. Avoid large gatherings, and maintain distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth
- Stay home if you are sick
- Stay away from people who are sick