Mayor Andy Berke said Saturday that the Chattanooga economy can be revived, but keeping citizen health in mind and relying on "data, not dates."
He is giving his annual State of the City Address on Thursday.
Mayor Berke said, "When the coronavirus crisis hit Chattanooga, our economy was one of the most vibrant and enviable in the whole country. Over the last five weeks, Chattanoogans have been reeling as this disease slammed the brakes on our momentum. Customers who had been filling shops and workers who had been earning wages have been at home.
"I know that I have had to ask you for some extraordinary sacrifices, but our shelter-in-place directive and travel restrictions appear to be working. As Chattanoogans always do, we respond to the toughest of times by showing the best in ourselves. Working together, we have been able to limit the spread of COVID-19 here. This collaborative spirit will also lead us forward into economic recovery and rejuvenation.
"As we look at restarting Chattanooga's economy, we are going to rely on data -- not dates -- to drive our decisions. We are going to involve business leaders who see the effects of the illness and economic devastation up close. We're going to listen to medical experts who understand how dangerous this virus is if we don't take it seriously.
"We can get our economy growing and going again -- and we can do it all while keeping workers and customers safe.
"Please know that the "new normal" will look a lot different. Restaurants and shops should be prepared to provide protective equipment for their employees, operate at reduced capacity, and take extra cleaning and sanitation measures for months to come. Large gatherings like sports events and music festivals may not return for quite a while. Those employers who can let workers stay home should continue to do that and keep practicing social distancing even after workers return to the office.
"Chattanooga has been tested time and again, and this crisis has posed challenges not seen in generations, if ever before. The road ahead is long and the world will look much different. We look forward to getting back to work and I'll have more details to share next week about what that may look like. For now, please stay home, stay safe, and know how much I appreciate your support and cooperation -- we'll need it more than ever as we move forward.
"This is the time of year when I usually do my annual State of the City address. Normally, this is a large event with hundreds of community members gathered to hear about our city's accomplishments and what's to come. The state of our city is very different now than it was a month or two ago. In fact, it's so different that the State of the City event itself will be unlike any of the addresses I've done in the past six years. This year, my State of the City address will be streamed entirely online with absolutely no in-person audience.
"The 2020 State of the City address will be streamed on Thursday, April 30. You can watch it on my Facebook page or the City of Chattanooga page at 5:30 p.m. WTCI-TV will also broadcast the speech just a few hours later at 8:00 p.m. Click here for more information.
"Now more than ever, we need to be reminded of how resilient we are as a community, what we've overcome, and how we'll make it through. I look forward to sharing that time with you soon.
"Until then, take care, stay safe, and be in touch."