In his opinion, Friedman wrote that the defendants didn’t present any evidence that “any appreciable amount” of PPE would be saved if Lee’s executive order continued to apply to abortions.
He wrote that the plaintiffs, who include planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi and the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, proved that they’ve taken steps to minimize the use of PPE and do not use N95 masks that are needed to fight the coronavirus, and showed that a procedural abortion uses less PPE and involves less patient interaction than giving birth.
Plaintiffs also argued that if the executive order is kept in place, women would travel out of state to have an abortion, risking exposure and spread of Covid-19 when they returned to Tennessee.
Plaintiffs said that procedural abortions made up about 50% to 60% of the abortions they performed last year and/or this year, according to the judge. They argued that Lee’s executive order could be extended beyond April 30, which the defendants did not contest, the judge wrote.
“The court’s decision today ensures that women in Tennessee can continue to make their own decisions about pregnancy and parenting based on what is best for their families,” Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee, a plaintiff, said in a statement issued Friday.
“Especially during a pandemic, it is crucial that women have access to a full range of health services, including abortion, to ensure their health and well-being,” she added.
CNN’s Caroline Kelly and Alta Spells contributed to this report.
Article Appeared @ https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/18/politics/tennessee-abortions-coronavirus/index.html