As Governor Whitmer’s COVID policies continue devasting Michigan small businesses, Tennessee has decided to lift capacity restrictions on restaurants and retail and allow large attractions to reopen on May 22.
The Tennessee State Economic Recovery Group announced Friday it will be lifting the 50% capacity restrictions on restaurants and retail stores effective May 22.
WBIR reports, “The state will also allow large non-contact attractions to open on May 22. These include any business that can practice social distancing with strong measures to protect employees and customers, including racetracks, amusement parks, water parks, theaters, dinner theaters, museums, auditoriums, and more.”
Whitmer’s over-the-top COVID restrictions put Michigan citizens in peril as she continues to crush the livelihoods of citizens across the state. Additionally, her poor decisions are exacerbating an already sizeable state budget shortfall. A May 15th Detroit News headline summed up the dire situation saying, “Michigan predicts $3.2 billion budget shortfall, looks to feds for more aid.”
It is still unclear when Whitmer will release her ironclad grip on the throat of the Michigan economy. She doesn’t appear to be inclined to follow data indicating she could safety re-open.
Analysis of COVID statistics
Confirmed cases of COVID in each Tennessee county are displayed in the table below. The rates per million population range from 151 to a whopping 144,364. This statistic is inflated as three Tennessee counties having correctional institutions are skewing the COVID data. These three counties’ COVID rates are high due to a large number of cases in the correctional institutions and a low population in the surrounding county. Excluding these three counties produces a more typical COVID range of 151 to 7,042.
Using the 7,042 COVID cases per million population as a benchmark would enable all but one region in Michigan to fully open for business. Just as was concluded in the recent comparison with Indiana, only Emergency Preparedness Region 2S would not be able to immediately open for business. Emergency Preparedness Region 2S consists of Wayne County, Washtenaw County, and Monroe Counties.
Of course, Governor Whitmer could open all regions if she chose. She could do this safely by enacting greater safety measures in Region 2S.
Sources
population.: https://www.tennessee-demographics.com/counties_by_population
COVID cases: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/health/cedep/ncov/data.html
county square miles: https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/tennessee/land-area
Counties with correctional institutions
https://wdef.com/2020/05/12/trousdale-bledsoe-counties-highest-covid-19-rates-country/
https://www.dailyyonder.com/meatpacking-and-prisons-drive-the-rural-infection-rate/2020/04/30/
date | county | confirmed | popl | popl rank | sqmi | density | case/mm | separate |
16-May | Anderson | 36 | 75,775 | 18 | 337.16 | 225 | 475 | |
16-May | Bedford | 248 | 47,558 | 33 | 473.64 | 100 | 5,215 | |
16-May | Benton | 6 | 16,112 | 76 | 394.14 | 41 | 372 | |
16-May | Blount | 75 | 128,443 | 11 | 558.71 | 230 | 584 | |
16-May | Bradley | 81 | 104,557 | 13 | 328.76 | 318 | 775 | |
16-May | Campbell | 17 | 39,687 | 40 | 480.19 | 83 | 428 | |
16-May | Cannon | 13 | 13,976 | 80 | 265.64 | 53 | 930 | |
16-May | Carroll | 24 | 28,018 | 52 | 599.25 | 47 | 857 | |
16-May | Carter | 19 | 56,391 | 25 | 341.2 | 165 | 337 | |
16-May | Cheatham | 88 | 39,929 | 38 | 302.44 | 132 | 2,204 | |
16-May | Chester | 12 | 17,150 | 73 | 285.74 | 60 | 700 | |
16-May | Claiborne | 7 | 31,613 | 48 | 434.58 | 73 | 221 | |
16-May | Clay | 6 | 7,686 | 90 | 236.54 | 32 | 781 | |
16-May | Cocke | 20 | 35,336 | 42 | 434.57 | 81 | 566 | |
16-May | Coffee | 60 | 54,531 | 26 | 428.96 | 127 | 1,100 | |
16-May | Crockett | 14 | 14,499 | 79 | 265.54 | 55 | 966 | |
16-May | Cumberland | 88 | 58,634 | 23 | 681.03 | 86 | 1,501 | |
16-May | Davidson | 3,795 | 684,017 | 2 | 504.03 | 1,357 | 5,548 | yes |
16-May | Decatur | 5 | 11,683 | 85 | 333.85 | 35 | 428 | |
16-May | DeKalb | 28 | 19,601 | 65 | 304.35 | 64 | 1,428 | |
16-May | Dickson | 90 | 51,988 | 30 | 489.9 | 106 | 1,731 | |
16-May | Dyer | 44 | 37,576 | 41 | 512.33 | 73 | 1,171 | |
16-May | Fayette | 88 | 39,692 | 39 | 704.79 | 56 | 2,217 | |
16-May | Fentress | 6 | 17,994 | 69 | 498.61 | 36 | 333 | |
16-May | Franklin | 43 | 41,512 | 36 | 554.54 | 75 | 1,036 | |
16-May | Gibson | 57 | 49,175 | 32 | 602.74 | 82 | 1,159 | |
16-May | Giles | 9 | 29,167 | 50 | 610.93 | 48 | 309 | |
16-May | Grainger | 6 | 23,013 | 61 | 280.6 | 82 | 261 | |
16-May | Greene | 46 | 68,669 | 20 | 622.17 | 110 | 670 | |
16-May | Grundy | 30 | 13,331 | 81 | 360.53 | 37 | 2,250 | |
16-May | Hamblen | 24 | 63,740 | 21 | 161.18 | 395 | 377 | |
16-May | Hamilton | 332 | 357,546 | 4 | 542.43 | 659 | 929 | yes |
16-May | Hancock | 1 | 6,585 | 92 | 222.34 | 30 | 152 | |
16-May | Hardeman | 180 | 25,562 | 58 | 667.77 | 38 | 7,042 | |
16-May | Hardin | 9 | 25,771 | 57 | 577.32 | 45 | 349 | |
16-May | Hawkins | 32 | 56,402 | 24 | 486.98 | 116 | 567 | |
16-May | Haywood | 29 | 17,779 | 72 | 533.11 | 33 | 1,631 | |
16-May | Henderson | 11 | 27,859 | 53 | 520.07 | 54 | 395 | |
16-May | Henry | 17 | 32,279 | 46 | 562.1 | 57 | 527 | |
16-May | Hickman | 52 | 24,678 | 59 | 612.5 | 40 | 2,107 | |
16-May | Houston | 6 | 8,176 | 88 | 200.29 | 41 | 734 | |
16-May | Humphreys | 12 | 18,318 | 68 | 530.98 | 34 | 655 | |
16-May | Jackson | 10 | 11,615 | 86 | 308.32 | 38 | 861 | |
16-May | Jefferson | 26 | 53,247 | 27 | 274.08 | 194 | 488 | |
16-May | Johnson | 15 | 17,789 | 70 | 298.48 | 60 | 843 | |
16-May | Knox | 302 | 456,185 | 3 | 508.22 | 898 | 662 | yes |
16-May | Lauderdale | 43 | 26,297 | 55 | 471.99 | 56 | 1,635 | |
16-May | Lawrence | 21 | 42,937 | 35 | 617.13 | 70 | 489 | |
16-May | Lewis | 2 | 11,956 | 84 | 282.09 | 42 | 167 | |
16-May | Lincoln | 16 | 33,711 | 43 | 570.34 | 59 | 475 | |
16-May | Loudon | 48 | 51,610 | 31 | 229.22 | 225 | 930 | |
16-May | Macon | 75 | 23,487 | 60 | 307.14 | 76 | 3,193 | |
16-May | Madison | 160 | 97,682 | 14 | 557.12 | 175 | 1,638 | yes |
16-May | Marion | 30 | 28,417 | 51 | 498.16 | 57 | 1,056 | |
16-May | Marshall | 25 | 32,269 | 47 | 375.46 | 86 | 775 | |
16-May | Maury | 60 | 89,776 | 16 | 613.14 | 146 | 668 | |
16-May | McMinn | 123 | 52,773 | 29 | 430.13 | 123 | 2,331 | |
16-May | McNairy | 12 | 25,903 | 56 | 562.86 | 46 | 463 | |
16-May | Meigs | 22 | 11,962 | 83 | 195.12 | 61 | 1,839 | |
16-May | Monroe | 38 | 45,876 | 34 | 635.57 | 72 | 828 | |
16-May | Montgomery | 203 | 196,387 | 7 | 539.18 | 364 | 1,034 | |
16-May | Moore | 4 | 6,322 | 93 | 129.22 | 49 | 633 | |
16-May | Morgan | 12 | 21,596 | 64 | 522.18 | 41 | 556 | |
16-May | Obion | 17 | 30,520 | 49 | 544.73 | 56 | 557 | |
16-May | Overton | 14 | 22,004 | 62 | 433.48 | 51 | 636 | |
16-May | Perry | 13 | 7,912 | 89 | 414.73 | 19 | 1,643 | |
16-May | Pickett | 2 | 5,088 | 95 | 162.98 | 31 | 393 | |
16-May | Polk | 12 | 16,782 | 74 | 434.68 | 39 | 715 | |
16-May | Putnam | 206 | 76,440 | 17 | 401.1 | 191 | 2,695 | |
16-May | Rhea | 8 | 32,628 | 45 | 315.38 | 103 | 245 | |
16-May | Roane | 8 | 52,897 | 28 | 360.71 | 147 | 151 | |
16-May | Robertson | 263 | 69,344 | 19 | 476.29 | 146 | 3,793 | |
16-May | Rutherford | 814 | 307,128 | 5 | 619.36 | 496 | 2,650 | |
16-May | Scott | 11 | 21,954 | 63 | 532.3 | 41 | 501 | |
16-May | Sequatchie | 10 | 14,730 | 77 | 265.86 | 55 | 679 | |
16-May | Sevier | 66 | 96,287 | 15 | 592.5 | 163 | 685 | |
16-May | Shelby | 3,595 | 937,005 | 1 | 763.17 | 1,228 | 3,837 | yes |
16-May | Smith | 24 | 19,458 | 66 | 314.29 | 62 | 1,233 | |
16-May | Stewart | 7 | 13,301 | 82 | 459.33 | 29 | 526 | |
16-May | Sullivan | 57 | 156,734 | 9 | 413.36 | 379 | 364 | yes |
16-May | Sumner | 724 | 179,473 | 8 | 529.45 | 339 | 4,034 | |
16-May | Tipton | 402 | 61,446 | 22 | 458.37 | 134 | 6,542 | |
16-May | Unicoi | 3 | 17,780 | 71 | 186.17 | 96 | 169 | |
16-May | Union | 4 | 19,293 | 67 | 223.55 | 86 | 207 | |
16-May | Van Buren | 3 | 5,704 | 94 | 273.42 | 21 | 526 | |
16-May | Warren | 14 | 40,454 | 37 | 432.68 | 93 | 346 | |
16-May | Washington | 66 | 127,055 | 12 | 326.47 | 389 | 519 | |
16-May | Wayne | 61 | 16,649 | 75 | 734.1 | 23 | 3,664 | |
16-May | Weakley | 24 | 33,626 | 44 | 580.36 | 58 | 714 | |
16-May | White | 17 | 26,580 | 54 | 376.67 | 71 | 640 | |
16-May | Williamson | 462 | 218,648 | 6 | 582.6 | 375 | 2,113 | |
16-May | Wilson | 316 | 132,663 | 10 | 570.83 | 232 | 2,382 | |
16-May | Out-of-state | 343 | ||||||
16-May | Pending | 8 |