Memphis Phase 2: Here is what is allowed

Mayors of Memphis and Shelby County suburbs unveiled a plan on April 27 to reopen the economy. 

The plan utilizes three phases of at least 14 days each, and progression to each new phase will depend on a flat or declining COVID-19 case count countywide and the ability to test and contact trace those who get sick. Hospital bed and staffing capacity will also be important factors in determining if reopening continues without interruption.

The reopening plan will move to Phase 2 on Monday, May 18.  It previously started Phase 1 on May 4.

The following information is the plan's exact language posted on the city of Memphis Back to Business website: backtobusiness.memphistn.gov/framework

Click here to read all phases of the Back to Business plan.

Read The Commercial Appeal's coverage of the plan's announcement.

General regulations

STARTING PHASE: + No purposeful groups of more than 10. + Adherence to social distancing.

PHASE 1: + No purposeful groups of more than 10. + Adherence to social distancing.

PHASE 2:  + No purposeful groups of more than 50. + Adherence to social distancing.  

Civic facilities (libraries, etc.)

STARTING PHASE: Closed.

PHASE 1: + Limit occupancy to 25% building capacity. + Employees must wear face masks.

PHASE 2: + Limit occupancy to 50% building capacity. + Employees must wear face masks.

Healthcare

STARTING PHASE: + Elective surgeries and diagnostic, medical, and procedural visits restricted to urgent and emergent cases + Active screening at entrances to healthcare facilities + Telehealth encouraged where practical + Nursing home and long-term care facilities have stringent precautions in place.

PHASE 1: + Elective surgeries and diagnostic, medical, and procedural visits allowed consistent with Tennessee Hospital Association standards and district protocol. + Other provisions continue as in Current Phase.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Dentistry

STARTING PHASE: + Elective dental visits, procedures, and surgeries are limited to urgent and emergent cases such as abscesses and fractured teeth.

PHASE 1: + Elective dental visits, procedures, and surgeries are allowed if deemed medically necessary, such as fillings, extractions, and root canals. + Active screening at entrances to dental facilities + Telehealth encouraged where practical.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Restaurants and bars

STARTING PHASE: + Carry-out/delivery only; no dine-in.  + Require employees preparing or serving food and employees with interaction with the public wear masks; require at least face coverings for all other employees.

PHASE 1: + Maximum capacity of 50% + Adjust layout of dining area/seating to maintain social distance between groups of customers + Eliminate use of communal items (i.e. containers on tables, writing utensils) + Require single-use items such as paper menus + Require employees preparing or serving food and employees with interaction with the public wear masks.

PHASE 2: + Same as previous phase

Grocery stores

STARTING PHASE: + Limit occupancy to 50% building capacity + Require face masks and gloves for all employees preparing or serving food and employees with interaction with the public; require at least face coverings for all other employees.

PHASE 1: Same as previous phase.

Hardware stores

STARTING PHASE: + Limit occupancy to 50% building capacity + Require face masks and gloves for all employees preparing or serving food and employees with interaction; require at least face coverings for all other employees.

PHASE 1: Same as previous phase.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase.

Retail stores and commercial businesses

STARTING PHASE: + Curbside service/delivery only + Employees with interaction with the public must wear face masks; all other employees must wear face masks.

PHASE 1: + Limit occupancy to 50% building capacity. + Employees with interaction with the public must wear face masks; all other employees must wear face masks.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase.

Manufacturers/distributors

STARTING PHASE: Only essential facilities open, must adhere to Order requirements.  

PHASE 1: + Require face masks for all employees. + Require symptom checks for all employees. + Establish work arrangements by which employees are spaced six feet from one another.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Offices/call centers

STARTING PHASE: Only essential facilities open, must adhere to Order requirements.  

PHASE 1: + Require face masks for all employees. + Require symptom checks for all employees. + Establish work arrangements by which employees are spaced six feet from one another. + Do not share phones or headsets. + Allow telework and minimize business travel to the greatest extent possible.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Non-contact sports facilities (golf courses, tennis courts, etc.)

STARTING PHASE: Closed per Order, with exception of golf courses adhering to specific protocol.

PHASE 1: + All others open, following guidance on maximum number of individuals for groups. + Shared equipment prohibited. + Employees with interaction with the public must wear face masks; all other employees must wear face masks. + Dining facilities limited to 25% capacity; carry-out/delivery OK.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase, but dining facilities limited to 50% capacity.

Contact sports facilities (basketball courts, baseball fields, etc.)

STARTING PHASE: Closed

PHASE 1: Closed

PHASE 2: + Open, following guidance on maximum number of individuals for groups. + Employees with interaction with the public must wear face masks; all other employees must wear face masks.

Gyms/fitness facilities

STARTING PHASE: Closed

PHASE 1: + Limit occupancy to 25% building occupancy. + Employees must wear face masks. + Adjust equipment layout or close/restrict access to equipment as necessary to maintain at least six feet of separation between users. + Conduct regular and thorough cleaning of all equipment, surfaces and areas of the facility using disinfectant cleaning supplies. + Require customers to clean equipment with disinfecting wipes before and after use. Provide hand sanitizing stations for use upon customer entry and exit. + Limit workouts to 45 minutes.

PHASE 2: + Limit occupancy to 50% building capacity + Other provisions continue as in Phase 1

Car washes

STARTING PHASE: Only fully automated car washes allowed. Ancillary functions like vacuum stations must be closed.

PHASE 1: Same as previous phase; will evaluate specific restrictions developed in partnership with the industry.

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Personal appearance businesses (hair, nail salons, spas, etc.)

STARTING PHASE: Closed

PHASE 1: Closed

PHASE 2: Open, with specific capacity and operations restrictions developed in partnership with the industry and providers.

Entertainment/performance venues (theaters, auditoriums, sports arenas)

STARTING PHASE: Closed.

PHASE 1: Closed.

PHASE 2: Closed.

Recreation facilities (bowling alleys, indoor climbing, arcades, trampoline parks)

STARTING PHASE:  Closed.

PHASE 1: Closed.

PHASE 2: Closed.

Festivals, parades, races, and similar public/community events

STARTING PHASE: Prohibited

PHASE 1: Prohibited

PHASE 2: Prohibited

Schools

STARTING PHASE: Currently closed; further phases TBD pending additional guidance.

Child care

STARTING PHASE: Open, reliant on CDC guidance and regulations. Child care programs that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic should address these additional considerations: + Implement social distancing strategies. + Intensify cleaning and disinfection efforts. + Modify dropoff and pickup procedures. + Implement screening procedures upon arrival. + Maintain an adequate ratio of staff to children to ensure safety. + When feasible, staff members and older children should wear face coverings within the facility. Cloth face coverings should NOT be put on babies and children under age two because of the danger of suffocation.

PHASE 1: Same as previous phase

PHASE 2: Same as previous phase

Definition of groups:

In this context, groups are defined as gatherings of persons who are not part of a household unit (and thus would have regular close contact) in a manner that makes social distancing difficult. Examples of a group could be four unrelated persons dining together at a table, 10 persons playing a team sport, or 80 persons gathering at a music venue without proper spacing. Masks and personal hygiene measures are effective when personal contact does not occur and persons are spaced at greater than six feet; when these measures break down either inadvertently, purposefully, or due to the characteristics of the space, then a group has been considered to have formed.

Definition of occupancy:

Occupancy is generally defined as the intended use of a building in terms of the number of persons who can safely be present for that use. This can be used to estimate the number of persons who can safely exit in the event of an emergency such as a fire. Depending on the nature of the entity, specifying reductions in occupancy of a building or space within a building can be challenging as a guideline of how many people can safely maintain social distance. The Joint Task Force is providing recommendations on occupancy reduction as a general rule of thumb for reducing crowding in buildings and spaces, but specific use cases may lend themselves to an alternate guideline, which can be proposed as part of a entity’s plan to adhere to the CCP.