Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced he will be extending the COVID-19 State of Emergency for two weeks, according to a tweet he sent out Friday afternoon.

In the tweet, Lee posted two photos of the executive orders extending the emergency and a message that reads, “I am placing a two-week extension on the current state of emergency as we continue analyzing impacts of recent legislation & how it affects certain provisions.”

Lee’s new executive orders extending the State of Emergency expire on November 19th.

The extension follows the 112th Tennessee General Assembly’s Third Extraordinary Session which included legislation that prohibits any governmental entity, school or LEA from mandating that a person receive a COVID-19 vaccine or that a private school or business require proof of vaccination as a condition to access facilities, products or services. While a private business can require a COVID-19 vaccine of its employees and presumably its customers, it cannot compel a person to provide proof of vaccination.

The Tennessee Star previously reported an exemption to any provision relative to vaccine and mask mandates is available to private businesses, governmental entities, schools or employers, if necessary to continue to receive federal funds for contracts or grants.

However, while the new legislation aims to prohibit most businesses from imposing mandates, there are some exceptions, such as healthcare facilities and entertainment venues, as reported by WJHL 11.

After the special session, Governor Lee thanked members of the General Assembly for “addressing the Biden Administration’s overreach”, writing in a tweet, “I commend members of the General Assembly for working to address the Biden Administration’s overreach into our state, our workforce, & our schools. We are evaluating each piece of legislation to ensure we push back on harmful federal policies & do right by Tennesseans.”

– – –

Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]