MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rutherford County has joined several counties in Middle Tennessee in reinstating its mask mandate as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase across the state.
Mayor Bill Ketron announced Monday that order will be reinstated effective just before midnight Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
"This is not a decision that I make lightly,” said Ketron. “Our cases in this county hit a record spike over the weekend, with the data indicating a higher transmission rate than that we experienced in late July.”
According to the mayor’s office, local data shows that current cases are 2.8 times the level in early September, with the 7-day average positive rate also doubling since that time.
Last week, Gov. Bill Lee’s office announced it intends to extend the executive order, which allows the majority of Tennessee’s counties the option to require face coverings in public, through the end of the year.
The mandate in Rutherford County will be in effect until further notice. Ketron said they will continue to monitor local data to determine the duration of the order.
“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.”
Just last week, Williamson, Sumner and Wilson Counties announced they would reinstate their mask mandates, as well.
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
