Mayor Andy Berke said Monday he will not be reopening Chattanooga on May 1. Earlier in the afternoon, Governor Bill Lee announced that the stay Shelter in Place order will expire April 30.
Mayor Berke said that expiration only applies for certain counties, as metropolitan counties such as Hamilton, Shelby, and Davidson have been allowed to make their own decisions on when their economy will open up.
“I certainly understand that the governor is going to try to make the best decision for the state,” said Mayor Berke. “But he has consistently told me and the other mayors he believes these decisions are best addressed locally. We’re going to continue to make the best decisions that we can each and every time we’re faced with them.”
While he said he wants Chattanooga’s economy to be opened up again, he said he would only do so after health experts agree it is safe to open the city back up again.
“I’m going to be listening to experts. I’m going to continue to listen to what health experts say, and we need to filter that through what our business community is saying,” said Mayor Berke. “And as I’ve said in previous Facebook chats, people just want to know what the rules are and what’s going to be healthy for them. ”
Chattanooga’s mayor briefly addressed Sunday afternoon’s protest, where 150 citizens expressed their displeasure in the shutdown and shelter in place orders.
“I absolutely respect people’s right to disagree with me and any other elected official, and to speak out,” said Mayor Berke. “I promise every one of you that it was not, never has been, and never will be my goal to issue executive orders. But at the same time, we are in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, and we have to keep people in our community safe.”
He reiterated why he issued those executive orders, citing the importance of the public’s health as his top priority.
“I’m always reluctant to use government power, but I understand that if we don’t keep people safe, there can be drastic consequences for you, for loved ones, and the community, and I take that very seriously as well,” said Mayor Berke.
“For us, what we’re going to do is we’re going to look at the numbers,” said the mayor. “We’re listening to experts and talking to public health officials. Making sure what the standards are and coming up with the best framework to make sure everybody is safe and being responsible.”