COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and gathering sizes in the 89 Tennessee counties with a state-run health department have been removed, according to Gov. Bill Lee’s office Tuesday.

The counties that have their own health departments — Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, Sullivan and Madison — have the authority to continue mask requirements.

This lift of restrictions goes into effect immediately, but does not apply in Shelby County. Local government said earlier Tuesday, they are encouraged by recent numbers, but have not discussed more reopening plans just yet.

The State of Emergency in Tennessee will continue through October, as a National State of Emergency remains in place, the governor’s office said.

Gov. Lee announced the changes at 3 p.m.

Lee said county mayors will continue to have the authority to enforce mask restrictions.

“Masks fight COVID-19. We know that,” Lee said.

Other parts of the governor’s executive order include the following:

• Provide that persons with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay
  at home, and that employers may not require or allow employees with COVID-19
  to work;
  • Urge persons to wear a cloth face covering in places where in close proximity to
  others, while facilitating local decision-making concerning face covering
  requirements;
  • Urge social distancing from those outside of your household, while eliminating
  caps on gathering size that have proven overly complex and arbitrary because
  they do not adequately account for critical considerations such as venue capacity
  and physical characteristics, type of activity involved, and location (indoors vs.
  outdoors), and thus undermine the more important focus on social distancing;
  • Providing a framework for safe visitation for nursing home and long-term-care
  facilities;
  • Allow for the reopening of senior centers, while providing that capacity must be
  limited to the extent necessary to accommodate adequate social distancing;
  • Provide that employers, businesses, and venues are expected to comply with the
  Tennessee Pledge for operating safely (the 6 counties with locally run county
  health departments continue to have existing statutory authority to issue
  additional directives on businesses/venues);
  • Continue access to take-out alcohol sales to encourage carryout and delivery
  orders;
  • Allow broad access to telehealth services;
  • Increase opportunities for people to easily join the healthcare workforce;
  • Facilitate increased testing and health care capacity;
  • Extend deadlines and suspend certain in-person continuing education, gathering,
  or inspection requirements to avoid unnecessary person-to-person contact; and
  • Increase opportunities to work remotely where appropriate.