Sevier County Officials Want Bars Closed, Restaurants at 50% Capacity

Local officials asked state health regulators to order closure of bars and limit occupancy for dine-in restaurants in Sevier County.

Sevier County and the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Pittman Center issued a joint press release on Thursday asking individuals and local businesses to limit the spread of the coronavirus by following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Tennessee Department of Health directives and guidelines.

The statement was made after officials said they consulted with legal advisors about whether or not they had legal authority to order businesses to close.

“After consulting with our legal advisors, it is not clear that the cities or county have the authority to close businesses at this time, during this stage of the public health crisis,” the statement said. “However, we strongly advise that all of our businesses and citizens follow the advice of the CDC and the state of Tennessee.”

On Friday, March 20, 2020, officials announced they sought an order from the Tennessee Department of Health.

“Due to the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases in Tennessee, the mayors and city managers of Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, and Sevierville have requested the Tennessee Department of Health issue orders for restaurants and bars in Sevier County,” officials said. “The orders would include no more than 50% occupancy for in-building dining, closing bars, and following CDC guidelines for spacing.”

Similar closures have already been ordered in Knox County.

March is typically a time when Sevier County tourism is starting to ramp up with spring breakers in town, but the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll. Local lodging has experienced a significant number of cancelations. Attractions such as Dollywood, Ripley’s and many dinner shows were shuttered last week. Theaters are closed. Yet sidewalks in Gatlinburg still had a steady flow of pedestrians and parking lots of restaurants and hotels in Pigeon Forge were quite full. The toll the pandemic has on the local tourism economy will be evident in lodging and sales tax revenue losses.

The county has re-launched the Mountain Tough website to communicate with residents about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sevierville also announced a COVID-19 page to communicate with citizens.

Sevier County was approved for Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis. Federal disaster loan assistance is available for businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters.