NASHVILLE, TENN. (WJHL) – Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that he plans to lift business restrictions in the 89 counties that the state health department governs.

A press release from Governor Lee’s office said he signed Executive Order 63 on Tuesday, which removes “remaining restrictions on businesses and gathering sizes” in the 89 counties run by the Tennessee Department of Health.

Six counties, including Sullivan County, will follow decisions made by their metro health departments.

The order will also extend provisions that allow local governments to institute mask requirements through October 30.

Lee also signed Executive Order 64, which allows for remote notarization and witnessing of documents through October 30.

Executive Order 63 also notates the following:

• Provide that persons with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay
at home, and that employers may not require or allow employees with COVID-19
to work;
• Urge persons to wear a cloth face covering in places where in close proximity to
others, while facilitating local decision-making concerning face covering
requirements;
• Urge social distancing from those outside of your household, while eliminating
caps on gathering size that have proven overly complex and arbitrary because
they do not adequately account for critical considerations such as venue capacity
and physical characteristics, type of activity involved, and location (indoors vs.
outdoors), and thus undermine the more important focus on social distancing;
• Providing a framework for safe visitation for nursing home and long-term care
facilities;
• Allow for the reopening of senior centers, while providing that capacity must be
limited to the extent necessary to accommodate adequate social distancing;
• Provide that employers, businesses, and venues are expected to comply with the
Tennessee Pledge for operating safely (the 6 counties with locally run county
health departments continue to have existing statutory authority to issue
additional directives on businesses/venues);
• Continue access to take-out alcohol sales to encourage carryout and delivery
orders;
• Allow broad access to telehealth services;
• Increase opportunities for people to easily join the healthcare workforce;
• Facilitate increased testing and health care capacity;
• Extend deadlines and suspend certain in-person continuing education, gathering,
or inspection requirements to avoid unnecessary person-to-person contact; and
• Increase opportunities to work remotely where appropriate.