Madison County mask mandate issued for employees, patrons inside businesses

Madison County is under a mask mandate.

Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Director Kim Tedford issued Order No. 4, mandating businesses require masks to enter for employees and patrons, effective Saturday at 12:01 a.m. The mandate is set to last until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 29.

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris signed off on the order.

“I know there are a lot of people who disagree with this and won’t like it, but the rising number of cases our county has seen in the last couple weeks has shown that we need to mandate mask wearing,” Tedford said. “I’ve got family members who don’t think we need to wear a mask.”

Conger and Harris said the mask mandate is a good alternative to shutting businesses down, which happened in March and April.

“This applies to every business, so it’s not like we're hurting certain businesses more than others,” Tedford said.

“And as our information and knowledge has evolved, we have a better idea of how to flatten the curve,” Conger said. “Because there for a few weeks, the CDC was going back and forth about whether or not to wear masks and if they’re effective, but they’ve said they are for weeks now.”

The mandate comes after the cumulative number of cases for the county increased by 15 to 313 with 88 active cases. There were 20 active cases a week earlier.

Enforcement

Tedford said health department officers will be the ones tasked with enforcing the mandate.

Businesses have available to them a flyer from the health department asking customers to wear a mask before entering or they will be asked to leave.

Tedford said those who want to report a business not complying can call the health department’s hotline — 731-240-1771 — or either mayor’s office to file an anonymous complaint.

An officer from the health department will then go to the business to investigate and ask the business to comply, and if there’s a continued problem a misdemeanor citation will be issued.

“We’ve tried and tried to ask people to wear masks, and few people are doing it,” Harris said. “We’ve seen evidence of spread starting at gatherings, and it’s not just the people at the gatherings that is the concern, but also the people who come into contact with the people at those gatherings who tested positive.

“And all of that could’ve possibly been avoided if the people at the gathering that were there already carrying the virus — whether they knew it or not — had worn a mask.”

Effect on the hospital

West Tennessee Healthcare CEO James Ross said the total number of 32 COVID-19 patients currently at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital is nearing the capacity of 50 beds the hospital has set aside for dealing with the virus.

He said 35 employees of the hospital tested positive and are under quarantine with five of them confirmed to have gotten it from work.

“This can have an effect on us and our capabilities quickly when you consider it’s not just patients from Madison County that we serve, and all the surrounding counties’ numbers are rising as well,” Ross said. “We’ve got to maintain our own staff so we can maintain our standard of care for all patients.”

Early end?

Tedford said it was possible for the mandate to expire before Aug. 29, which is based on Gov. Bill Lee’s extension of the current state of emergency for Tennessee.

“If numbers begin to decrease in positive cases, we could end it early,” Tedford said. “And hopefully more people wearing masks will do that.”

Also based on Lee’s executive order, places of worship are exempt from the mask mandate, but adhering to social distancing guidelines is still encouraged.

Children under 2 years old and people dining in restaurants are also exempt.

“I know before and after church is when there’s more potential for the spread because large groups of people gather to talk and socialize,” Tedford said. “But we need everyone working all the time — wear your mask or cover your face, social distance, wash your hands — to slow the spread of this virus.”

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.