Some Williamson County businesses will still require masks after the mandate expired

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some local business owners are still requiring customers to wear masks even though the mask mandate has expired in Williamson County.

There was some confusion over the weekend regarding mask-wearing. However, Jane Covington said, "I was not confused. I understand that the county-wide mask mandate expired, but I’m well aware that a lot of private businesses have their own policies related to masks."

Maxi B. Home in Brentwood is one of them. "I think we have to listen to the science, and I do think that we need to continue to wear our masks. I think it is proven to drop our numbers down in the hospitals, and just in the people who may not even be symptomatic, if you don’t know, you have to assume you might have it," Karen Fuqua said.

Fuqua wants customers to wear masks at her home décor store in part because she wants to keep her mom, Maxine Bivins, safe. She named her shop after her mom.

"I have to say that I was a little bit disappointed because I hate when being the mask police falls on my shoulders, but then I have to say that because my mother’s 91, I will be continuing to wear a mask and encouraging others that come into my store to do the same," Fuqua said.

Covington said she will continue wearing a mask for similar reasons. "I just wear a mask all the time and again I do to protect other people. I have a 91-year-old father, and I would die if I was responsible for spreading COVID to my own father or anybody else.”

Fuqua recommends keeping a mask in handy, "But I have noticed a lot of people who come up to my door and walk away and come back because they’ve left their mask in the car."

All Williamson County school students went back in-person on Monday after COVID-19 cases went down. However, the City of Brentwood is encouraging people to still wear masks to help stop community spread so students can stay in school. The spokesperson issued a statement:

“Although the official Williamson County Mask Mandate expired this weekend, the City of Brentwood employees will continue wearing masks in our public buildings and ask that visitors do also. All guidance from the CDC and the State of TN strongly recommends continued use of masks. We believe this is even more important as children return to school and the potential for greater exposure in the community may increase. The majority of our Brentwood City Commissioners support the City to continue to require masks in city buildings. We want to lead by example for the community.”

The City of Franklin is also encouraging folks to still wear masks. You can read more about that here. In an email sent on behalf of Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, it said he got rid of the mandate as he tried to strike a balance between public health ‘and the ability of individuals to make personal decisions for themselves and their families.’

Face coverings are still required in county-owned buildings and where court is conducted per the Supreme Court’s orders.