Gov. Bill Lee issued a “shelter at home” order Thursday, April 2, but said it was based on traffic data rather than the urging of physicians who asked him more than a week ago to take extra steps to restrict the transmission of COVID-19 with a surge approaching.

State lawmakers say schools likely won't reopen this year amid the COVID-19 threat, and some are questioning the state Department of Education for rolling out applications for education savings accounts during an emergency.

Projecting an April 19-20 COVID-19 peak, Gov. Bill Lee predicts the state will need 7,000 more hospital beds to handle the worst scenario of patient demand.

Gov. Bill Lee warned lawmakers Wednesday the COVID-19 crisis is expected to “surge” in two to four weeks, putting a heavy burden on the state’s health care system.

Gov. Bill Lee hasn’t asked Mississippi and Arkansas governors to declare “safer at home” guidelines even though their residents could carry COVID-19 back and forth into Shelby County, which has more than 400 cases.

State Reps. Antonio Parkinson and Jim Coley say Gov. Bill Lee needs to take more "decisive" action to stop the spread of COVID-19.

As COVID-19 cases hit nearly 400 in Shelby County and reached into 77 of 95 counties, Gov. Bill Lee ordered all nonessential businesses to close Monday, March 30, and introduced a statewide “safer at home” measure.

Gov. Bill Lee's second year in office morphs into crisis mode, forcing him to make decisions on the fly, many of which he is reversing in a matter of days to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tennessee could sidestep a days-long lag time for COVID-19 through new testing equipment expected to be introduced during the coming week, enabling results to be shown in an hour or less.

Lee commented as he moved the state's daily briefing on the pandemic to Memphis and met with local leaders. State officials announced the death toll from the virus in the state has now risen to six.

Gov. Bill Lee is seeking help from Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a “unique” model to project the COVID-19 spread in Tennessee that will enable the state to determine its effect on hospital capacity and personal protective equipment as well as the next hot spots.

As COVID-19 cases escalate, Gov. Bill Lee reminded Tennesseans Wednesday he is negotiating with the federal government for Medicaid funding to cover uninsured residents who contract the virus.

As COVID-19 cases pass the 660 mark, Gov. Bill Lee is asking every school system in the state to stay closed until April 24, three weeks longer than expected, while hoping students can get some form of instruction by watching lessons on PBS.

With July early voting four months away, state Rep. London Lamar is questioning whether the Secretary of State’s Office is prepared to deal with a pandemic, saying universal absentee voting is needed to avoid risking people's lives.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally calls it the “black swan,” an unforeseen event capable of shaking Tennessee’s foundation, yet one the state must be prepared to handle, this time using a military approach on a worldwide scale.

Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Sunday, March 22, calling for businesses across the state to use "alternative business models" beginning Monday. Like local orders already in place, it bans dine-in services at restaurants statewide.

Delayed by the COVID-19 crisis, legislation such as the “constitutional carry” bill allowing people to carry handguns without a permit is expected to revive when lawmakers return to Nashville this summer after a long recess.

Gov. Bill Lee worked with the state attorney general and comptroller on an executive order to put electronic government meetings rules in place after legislation failed Thursday in the final hours of the General Assembly session

Facing the biggest state and national emergency in decades, the Tennessee Legislature adopted a $39.8 billion budget Thursday night, March 19, and vacated the State Capitol as COVID-19 continued to spread.

With COVID-19 spreading statewide, the governor signed an executive order Thursday to expand the state’s health care capacity and give people more time to renew driver’s licenses and car tags. It even allows the Parole Board to hold closed meetings.

House Republicans met secretly Thursday and agreed to cut nearly $1 billion from the state budget but leave education voucher funding in place. Teacher pay raises would be cut by half. 

Gov. Bill Lee issued a disaster declaration Wednesday, enabling small businesses to seek federal loans as coronavirus cases are expected to rise amid increased testing.

Gov. Bill Lee introduced a “no-growth” budget for the next fiscal year, reducing a 3.1% revenue growth projection to zero and eliminating dozens of spending proposals while spending hundreds of millions to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.

Reacting to the national coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Bill Lee will present an “adjusted” budget by Wednesday containing funds to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and mid-state tornado victims as lawmakers hoped to take a recess of at least two months.

Speculation spreads about the Legislature possibly wrapping up by the end of this week. But Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said it will likely take two to three weeks for the General Assembly to finish its work.