NASHVILLE, Tennessee —
In Monday's Ransom Note: politicians who think they know more than doctors?
In Nashville Monday top coronavirus expert and White House advisor Dr. Deborah Birx suggested to Governor Bill Lee that he close all bars statewide and limit indoor dining at restaurants. She also hoped every county would enact a face mask mandate.
Dr. Birx reportedly also made the same recommendation in private, telling the governor that doing those three things at this crucial time would change the trajectory of COVID-19 in Tennessee and keep us from being as bad as Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
But minutes later, Lee said no, he would not follow Dr. Birx’s advice. To Lee's credit, he has let our bigger cities like Memphis and Nashville impose all three restrictions. Birx says she's worried about younger people spreading the virus, especially in rural areas, making things worse in our hospitals which are already stretched thin.
Lee did say Monday nothing is off the table. Let's hope he'll reconsider.
Join the conversation by email (rransom@localmemphis.com), Facebook, or Twitter.