Tennessee's Republican governor on Sunday announced new restrictions on social gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but stopped short of a mask mandate. Bill Lee signed an executive order limiting public gatherings to 10 people. "We are in a cold, cruel phase of this pandemic," Lee said in a public address. Lee’s executive order does not require masks, despite pleas from frontline health care workers experiencing the highest new cases per capita in the country. KAUAI SEES SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES AFTER ALLOWING TRAVEL TO RESUMELee called the state "ground zero" in the COVID-19 battle and urged Tennesseans not to gather with people outside their immediate households during the holidays.

Source: Fox News December 21, 2020 03:26 UTC