After initially deciding against it, Rutherford County will reinstate its previous mask mandate due to the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations across the state. Mayor Bill Ketron made the announcement on Monday that order will be reinstated at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday (October 28) and will remain in effect until further notice.
"This is not a decision that I make lightly," said Mayor Ketron. "Our cases in this county hit a record spike over the weekend, with the data indication a higher transmission rate than what we experienced in late July."
County mayors were given the authority to issue, and reinstate, mask mandates within their county by an executive order signed by Governor Bill Lee. Gov. Lee's office expects to extend the order through the rest of the year.
Mayor Ketron joins the mayors of Williamson, Sumner, and Wilson counties who all announced last week they would reissue mask mandates due to rising cases.
Data has shown that the 7-day average positivity rate has doubled since early September, News Channel 5 reports, and the current cases are 2.8 times the level they were in the same time period.
Mayor Ketron continued, "While I understand that there are conflicting opinions on face coverings, there is overwhelming evidence supporting that masking, in combination with other preventative actions, is the key to slowing the spread."
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