March 22, 9:45 am - Effective 12:01 am Monday morning, March 23rd, Mayor John Cooper has ordered all non-essential businesses in Davidson County to close. The Safer at Home Order order also directs residents throughout Davidson County to stay home when possible, immediately limit movement outside of home beyond what is absolutely necessary and avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people for non-essential purposes. In addition to healthcare facilities, first responders, pharmacies and essential government agencies, other businesses including grocery stores, gas stations, banks, laundromats, veterinary and pet supply businesses, construction, childcare, warehousing and logistics, postal services and delivery services, among others are allowed to continue operations. Additionally, restaurants may continue to operate for takeout, drive-thru and delivery. The full order and complete list of essential services is available here.

The Sunday morning announcement also included an update on cases in Davidson County. Currently, there are 179 cases with 1 death, 27 recovered and 151 active cases. Two patients are currently hospitalized with the remaining cases self-isolating at home with mild or manageable symptoms. The age range in Nashville is 11 to 73 years of age for those with confirmed cases. The current case count in Nashville represents an increase of 46 over the past 24 hours. Statewide numbers will be updated at 2 pm today.

In response to Mayor Cooper's order, Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, president and CEO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine said, "With the number of cases of COVID-19 rising rapidly, Nashvillians need to take every step now to slow the spread of the virus - to preserve precious healthcare resources to care for those who will soon need them. Mayor Cooper's Safer at Home Order will save lives. By following the order, we can reduce the number of people who need hospitalization all at once, enabling us to manage the coming COVID-19 patients while also serving people with many other conditions, like heart disease and cancer, who will continue to need us."

Recognizing the heavy toll Safer at Home will have on businesses across the city, the Nahsville Area Chamber of Commerce also came ut in support of the mayor's decision. Officials noted, the order would ultimately help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and get everyone back to work sooner. Additionally, the Chamber has created a coronavirus resource page, which is updated daily with new information, to help businesses impacted by the coronavirus.

For more information on Metro Nashville's response, go to asafenashville.org.