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On Friday, shortly after the Knox County Health Department ordered bars to close and restaurants to limit seating, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon took things one step further with an executive order to close restaurants, bars, gyms and commercial event venues within city limits for two weeks.

The Knox County order went into effect immediately Friday afternoon, while the city order starts at 8 p.m. Both decisions were made to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Kincannon said during a news conference Friday that the city decided "to be a little more proactive" because the city has a denser population than the county, making the risk of transmission higher.

The city's order will allow restaurants and bars to continue delivery and takeout service, according to a news release.

What's considered city or county?: Check out this map.

More about the county's order

In addition to closing bars, the Knox County order also requires that restaurants limit seating to half capacity or 100 people, whichever number is lower.

Table layouts must follow health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep people 6 feet apart.

The Health Department defined the types of establishments regulated by its order:

Bars

Businesses licensed to serve food whose primary business is alcohol service

Restaurants that are businesses whose primary business is food service

Restaurants with an attached bar, also known as a a food service establishment permitted as an auxiliary food service operation

Restaurants with attached bars must limit capacity at the bar area to 10% with no standing allowed, as well as reduce table service capacity to 50%.

Takeout and drive-thru services are not affected, according to a news release from the Health Department.

According to the county, to-go growlers of beer will be considered carryout.

"COVID-19 is an evolving situation, but Knox Countians are urged to exercise caution and maintain good hygiene practices as serious risks still exist for our vulnerable populations," the release said.

It's time to 'take care of each other'

Knox County Public Health Officer Dr. Martha Buchanan said in a news conference Friday that her staff will be performing checks to make sure restaurants and bars are in compliance.

Buchanan said she made the decision after seeing an increasing number of confirmed coronavirus cases in surrounding counties.

"We're going to have to take care of each other," Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said at the conference. "We're going to see a lot of people lose their livelihoods."

Buchanan encouraged people to continue supporting businesses, including placing takeout orders and purchasing gift cards.

The city said in a news release that it will designate metered parking spaces in front of restaurants and loosen parking enforcement to help expedite pickup service.

'We need to support these businesses'

"I feel it is my responsibility to take all the preventative measures possible to reduce the health impacts in the City of Knoxville," Kincannon said in the release.

The city consulted with businesses and experts, including former Gov. Bill Haslam, who applauded Kincannon's decision, according to the release. The decision also garnered support from doctors, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman and the YMCA of East Tennessee.

Buchanan said her decision for the county was a difficult one, especially considering the Knox County families that will be affected.

"We need to support these businesses through this very difficult time and their employees who are also being impacted by this," she said.

Where else is this happening?

The mayors and city managers of Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center and Sevierville have asked the Tennessee Department of Health to issue orders for restaurants and bars in Sevier County.

In Sevier County, than means the bars will close, but dine-in restaurants can remain open if they reduce their capacity by 50% and follow CDC guidelines for safe spacing between people.

A growing number of states have closed or sharply eliminated the operations of bars, including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

You can email Ryan Wilusz at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ryan_Wilusz or on Instagram @knoxscruff. Please support strong local journalism by subscribing for full access to all our content on every platform.