Nashville rolling back reopening after virus surge

People walk by Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, closed because of the coronavirus, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Nashville Mayor John Cooper has called for bars on Broadway and throughout the county to close until further notice. He also asked restaurants to limit seating to 50 percent of capacity, with a cap of 100 people, and restaurant bars to not allow standing. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) People walk by Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, closed because of the coronavirus, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Nashville Mayor John Cooper has called for bars on Broadway and throughout the county to close until further notice. He also asked restaurants to limit seating to 50 percent of capacity, with a cap of 100 people, and restaurant bars to not allow standing. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By TRAVIS LOLLER / Associated Press July 2, 2020 3 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Nashville will roll back its reopening in response to a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, Mayor John Cooper said Thursday.

The rollback is “tailored on what we’ve learned through contact tracing investigations over the past several weeks,” Cooper said during a weekly briefing. It includes closing all bars for a minimum of 14 days beginning on Friday. Event and entertainment venues also will be temporarily closed, and restaurants will revert from a 75% capacity limit to 50% capacity.

“It’s worth noting that Nashville’s rate of confirmed cases did decline while bars and restaurants operated at 50% capacity in May,” Cooper said.

Nashville also directed the Convention and Visitors Corporation to cancel its July 4 fireworks display. Instead, a local television station will air a special showcasing local artists and previous years’ displays.

Dog parks, skate parks, basketball courts, playgrounds, recreational leagues and pools are still allowed to operate, since no outbreaks have been traced back to them, Cooper said.