Friday, May 29, 2020 5:48 am

Governor Bill Lee's Economic Recovery Group issued new guidelines today for noncontact sports, camps, and higher education under the Tennessee Pledge. Since the state began its measured reopening in late April, nearly every industry is now able to resume business in some capacity with specific recommendations to preserve and protect the health and safety of all Tennesseans.

"We're able to continue reopening our state thanks to the sustained efforts by Tennesseans to social distance and mitigate the spread of COVID-19," said Gov. Lee. "It's important we continue to take personal responsibility for our health and the health of our neighbors, while recognizing and honoring the need for Tennesseans to get back to work and support their families."

Under Executive Order No. 38 issued May 22, noncontact sports may resume under certain precautions, including efforts to maintain social distancing, wear masks when feasible and added sanitization measures. Sports that may return under the current guidelines include but are not limited to baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, disc golf, tennis and racket sports, cycling, track and field and other running events, and equestrian. Contact sports such as football, wrestling, and hockey are not permitted except for practicing in a manner that does not involve close physical contact with other persons.

Previously released summer camp guidance has been expanded to address the safe reopening of overnight camps. The Economic Recovery Group recommends additional protective measures for residential camps, including thorough pre-screening measures, limited mixing of campers and staff and modified sleeping arrangements, among a number of additional efforts to protect campers and staff.

Newly released Higher Ed guidelines recommend a number of safety precautions to protect staff and students. Recommendations to Tennessee colleges and universities include establishing policies for on-campus housing, how to isolate and care for sick students and staff, limiting number of attendees for in-person classes, and other measures. This guidance was created by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in partnership with state colleges and universities and related associations and the Unified Command.

Full guidelines can be found on TNpledge.com for:

• Noncontact Sports
• Summer Camps
• Higher Education

Six counties - Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan - may continue to follow individual, county-specific reopening plans created in consultation with State and local health departments.

The Economic Recovery Group (ERG), composed of 30 leaders from the public and private sector, is crafting guidance to assist businesses in a safe reopening. The industry representatives participating in the ERG collectively represent over 140,000 Tennessee businesses that employ over 2.5M Tennesseans. More information about ERG is available here.

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