Restaurants and retail stores throughout the majority of Tennessee will no longer need to limit capacity starting late next week.

In addition, large attractions, including racetracks, amusement parks, waterparks, theaters, museums and auditoriums, will be allowed to reopen starting May 22, provided they practice appropriate social distancing to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Such changes will be allowed in 89 of Tennessee's 95 counties, with the remainder — Davidson, Shelby, Knox, Hamilton, Madison and Sullivan — following their own reopening plans. 
 

Gov. Bill Lee, along with the state's Economic Recovery Group, made the announcement Friday.

“Tennesseans have worked incredibly hard to do their part and help slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our state can begin to reopen," the governor said in a statement. "Thanks to their continued efforts, we’re able to allow restaurants and retail businesses to operate at greater capacity and large attractions to open in a safe and thoughtful way.”

Despite the new guidance for large attractions, Lee said restrictions on social gatherings of 10 or more people will remain in place. 

While making the announcement, the administration pointed to a downward trajectory in new cases of COVID-19. 
 

As of Friday, Tennessee had 16,970 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 290 deaths and 9,280 recoveries.

In recent days, businesses throughout Tennessee, including in the state's most populous cities, began reopening while looking to kickstart the economy. 

On Friday, the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department announced the county will lift its 50% capacity restrictions on restaurants and retail businesses on May 18.

The pandemic has generated hundreds of thousands of unemployment claims and led to a dramatic decrease in tax collections.