Updated 4/3/20

Days after issuing an executive order urging Tennesseans to stay at home amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Governor Bill Lee will now mandate the action.
The order will be effective immediately and will last through  April 14th.
As of Thursday, state officials reported 2,800 residents had been infected by COVID-19 including three from Giles County.
The governor’s statewide mandate is his strongest action to date regarding the ongoing pandemic. It comes just one day after he and members of his administration told lawmakers he anticipated a shortage of beds and ventilators in the coming weeks as Tennessee faces a “crush” of new cases that could force the state to use alternative facilities like college dorms and convention centers to house patients.
In a statement, Lee said Thursday the mandate was necessary despite decreases in movement throughout Tennessee in recent weeks.
“However, in recent days we have seen data indicating that movement may be increasing and we must get these numbers trending back down,” he said. “I have updated my previous executive order to clearly require that Tennesseans stay at home unless they are carrying out essential activities.”
Moments after the governor’s decision to require Tennesseans to stay at home was announced, a group of doctors who had been campaigning for a stay-at-home order issued a statement saying the new restrictions would save lives.