by: Linda Ong. We’re still here.”. To help contain the coronavirus' spread, Mayor John Cooper is seeking to increase regulations on Nashville's bars and restaurants, including shutting down Lower Broadway's bars … Live music is permitted, but dance floors are closed until further notice. Nashville bars and limited service restaurants will reopen today under new rules. If you’re ready to venture out or visit Nashville, here’s a list of bars now open in Nashville. The mayor of Nashville calls for all bars on Lower Broadway and throughout Davidson County to close until further notice. Nashville city officials have been caught red handed in their efforts to keep parts of the city locked down even though they knew Wuhan coronavirus wasn't being spread at bars and restaurants. “As soon as this is passed, we’re going to make sure we can enact an enforcement policy,” Caldwell said minutes before the board's approval of the plan. The two work in the healthcare industry and acknowledge that it’s an assumed risk to be on Lower Broadway. Just an hour after Cooper had announced the city would take action, the main drag in downtown Nashville remained busy Sunday afternoon with patrons hopping from one honky-tonk to the next – unaware that officials were voting shortly to close down Lower Broadway. Michael Caldwell, the city's director of health, said after Sunday's meeting he would quickly work with Metro police on enforcement. ... Honky Tonk Central, in the Lower Broadway entertainment district in Nashville… Want to read more stories like this? As of Sunday, Tennessee had 39 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 17 in Davidson County, according to the state Department of Health. The mayor of Nashville calls for all bars on Lower Broadway and throughout Davidson County to close until further notice. Since Cooper enacted a mask mandate and closed bars, Nashville has gained ground on the coronavirus. limiting bar service at restaurants to 50% capacity with no standing allowed. Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., expressed his support for Cooper on Twitter, saying the steps are needed for the "health and safety" of the city. ", Similarly, state Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, applauded Cooper and Metro officials for "taking this step.". Nashville is currently in Phase Three of reopening. "Unless there’s a statewide mandate that directs all bars and restaurants to be closed, the request made by Mayor Cooper is unconstitutional as he is targeting a select group of businesses," Smith said in a statement. The Metro Nashville Board of Health will also hold a special emergency meeting at 5 p.m. Sunday with announcements about new policy changes to help stop the spread of coronavirus. … Tourists speak about coronavirus concerns on Broadway, Erin and John Black of Bowling Green, Ohio, speak about coronavirus concerns on Broadway, losses that total in the tens of millions of dollars, would refuse to comply with the directive, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Several of the street’s furniture and hardware stores played a key role in Nashville’s economy in the late nineteenth-century; many of these have been adaptively-reused as restaurants catering to locals and tourists alike. And while such closures will have an immediate economic impact on the city, Cooper's announcement was quickly met with support ranging from members of the business community to elected officials. Coronavirus: Dierks Bentley shutters Nashville bar, donates $1K each to 90 employees "Just gave last call at @whiskeyrownashville," the singer wrote. Cooper defended his decision, saying the short-term actions would help the city return to normal in an expedient manner. Nashville Bars Hit With Coronavirus Citations Are 'Sick and Tired' of Protest Double Standards. In a press release, Mayor John Cooper also called for restaurants to limit seating to under 50 percent of their capacity and cap seating at no more than 100 individuals. “We also are asking restaurants to take social distancing precautions, including the spacing out of tables for customers. To combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced sweeping changes Sunday, including closing bars throughout Davidson County and severely limiting restaurant capacity. "Any short-term mitigation to slow the spread of this virus is invaluable to our long-term recovery and more importantly the health and safety of our community. Bars and restaurants may operate with socially-distanced tables and capacity limits. Within hours, the Metro Board of Health convened for an emergency meeting and unanimously approved the mayor's recommendations while officially declaring a public health emergency. With classes and internships canceled, they plan to stay in Nashville until Wednesday. Though aware of growing health concerns, the three said they already had paid for their accommodations and thought it was worth the trip if they drove. No shock here, based on the video. Alex Jahangir, chair of the Board of Health, said the decision was not done lightly but was necessary in order to move forward. 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