Mayor calls for Nashville bars to close as coronavirus cases rise

The mayor of Nashville calls for all bars on Lower Broadway and throughout Davidson County to close until further notice.

The Metro Nashville Board of Health will also hold a special emergency meeting at 5 p.m. Sunday with announcements about new policy changes to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

In a press release, Mayor John Cooper also called for restaurants to limit seating to under 50 percent of their capacity and cap seating at no more than 100 individuals.

“We also are asking restaurants to take social distancing precautions, including the spacing out of tables for customers. We are encouraging restaurants to remain open as both a measure of social wellbeing and because of their important role in helping to feed our community," Mayor Cooper said in a statement. "We appreciate the businesses, churches, schools, sporting event organizers, and all other organizations that have closed or taken actions on social distancing."

Mayor Cooper said city officials will work on providing relief for local workers impacted by the new measures.

total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is now at 17.