Knox County mayor responds to statewide extension of stay-at-home order

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs released a statement in response to Governor Lee’s decision to extend his stay-at-home order and plan to reopen some businesses in phases.

• Gov. Bill Lee extends statewide ‘Stay-at-Home’ order

“I agree with the Governor: Knox County and the State of Tennessee should not continue this model of economic shut down much longer. It isn’t sustainable,” Jacobs said, “We don’t have to make a choice between a healthy economy and healthy people. There is a way to combat the virus without killing the economy.”

Mayor Jacobs said last week the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency at this point is not pursuing building an additional hospital at the Knoxville Expo Center for COVID-19 patients.

• Mayor Glenn Jacobs: Models show extra Knoxville hospital for COVID-19 patients may not be necessary

“We’re going to be faced with a lot of challenges even coming out of COVID-19 pandemic,” Jacobs told WATE over the weekend. “Our economy has been greatly harmed and we are going to have to as a community come together, They are going to a lot of people that are hurting. Some folks will have lost loved ones. Some folks will have lost jobs. Some folks will have lost their savings.”

• Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs: Community faced with ‘challenges’ with COVID-19