Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced on Wednesday that he will reinstate a mask mandate for all Metro Government buildings beginning Thursday.
The move will require all Metro employees and members of the public to wear a face covering, regardless of the individual’s vaccination status.
In ordering the new regulation, Cooper continued to urge residents to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
“Vaccinations are our best tool for ending the pandemic. If you’ve been on the sidelines, waiting, now is your time to get vaccinated. Our Public Health Department has a vaccine waiting for you so you can protect your health and your family’s health,” Mayor Cooper said in the statement.
Cooper’s move to reinstate the mask mandate follows a host of city and state officials across the country who has made the same move — including in school districts.
In response to Cooper’s new mandate, Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle called for new masking guidelines for the school district.
“As a result of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and spread of the delta variant, the recommendations from the CDC and AAP, along with the Mayor’s new mask mandate for Metro facilities, it would be my recommendation to the Board that we adopt a universal mask policy, indoors and on buses, for the start of the 2021-22 school year in order to keep our student, staff, and their families as safe as possible,” Battle said.
However, House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) warned of legislative action if school districts across the state elect to impose the requirements.
“I sure hope that school systems do not require a mask mandate for those students. If they do then I will ask the governor for a special session. If they close the schools then I will ask the governor for a special session,” Sexton said at a recent press conference.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper. Background Photo “Nashville City Hall” by Nicolas Henderson. CC BY 2.0.
