MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
In Monday's Ransom Note: politics and science.
The White House model suggests waiting until there are 14 days of either flat or falling case numbers before we reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Tennessee still couldn't wait, but at least Governor Bill Lee realized the state's six most populous counties should decide on their own.
But in two of those counties, politics crept in. Restaurants in Hamilton and Knox counties are opening today, even though the mayors of Knoxville and Chattanooga said it was too soon. The county mayors are republican, the city mayors are democrats, and the Lee administration decided county mayors have sway over cities.
But Nashville/Davidson and Memphis/Shelby are taking their time, waiting until they see the curve fall or flatten for 14 days and then start a phase one reopen.
Shelby County announced Monday all of its seven cities, whose mayors are both democrat and republican, had set aside partisanship in favor of providing a unified, coordinated approach to public safety.
Kudos to all the mayors. They showed true leadership.