Mayor Berke speaks about shelter-in-place order and the economic future of Chattanooga
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke reached out to residents of the city on Monday to let them know what the city was doing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and how the current crisis will reshape the future of the community.
He stated that he appreciated everyone who observed the shelter-in-place order this past weekend. He strongly believes that good judgement now will make a difference and will save lives. He also encouraged resident to let the city know if they see a place of business or public gathering that is out of compliance, and asked for citizens to contact Chattanooga 311 so that the city can follow up.
To find out what businesses have been determined to be essential, along with other details on his more recent executive order, you can visit cha.city/covidfaqs
"I realize how difficult and strange all of this is," Mayor Berke said. "The next couple of weeks will dictate how hard this crisis hits our local hospital systems, so please know how much we appreciate the sacrifice that each of you are making. It's always been true that when times are toughest, we see the best in ourselves and our neighbors. Remember -- staying at home and keeping yourself safe protects your friends and family every bit as much as it protects you."
In response to recent media reports about Tennessee Governor Bill Lee's plan to establish "overflow centers" for non-critical COVID-19 patients in cities across Tennessee, including here in Chattanooga, he explained that he is in frequent contact with the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency and the Health Department as they make these preparations. He stated his office will do whatever is necessary to assist them so that we are as prepared as possible for patients who need urgent care.
The current plan from the state is to work to covert the old Alstom property on Riverfront Parkway into an overflow medical facility, after the Chattanooga Convention Center was determined not to be a viable option.
As far as the local economy is concerned, Mayor Berke noted that just two months ago, Forbes said Chattanooga would have the strongest job growth in the country this year. Today, that seems like a distant memory.
"We continue to reach out to locally-owned small businesses to connect them with resources that will help them weather the current economic storm," the Mayor said. "I'm glad that Congress has taken some meaningful steps that will stimulate the economy and help workers who are feeling the worst shocks right now. Our safety net is being stretched to its limit, so we must take action to prevent as many people we can from falling through."
He acknowledged that at this moment recovery feels very far away and the city is focusing all of its energies on protecting the public's health. At the same time, he said he knows the city will need to be more proactive, rather than reactive, in thinking about how we want Chattanooga's economy to look in the future to be prepared when the recovery begins.
On Monday, he offered some thoughts about this in The Hill. Building a nationwide fiber plan, upskilling displaced workers, and investing in more research hubs are a few of the things that he thinks needs to be done do to make the economy more equitable, fair, and resilient.
"I'll be talking more about this in the weeks and months ahead," he explained. "In the meantime, stay safe and thank you again for all you're doing."