Health department issues mandate requiring masks or face coverings

JACKSON, TN - The Jackson Madison County Regional Health Department just announced a mandate requiring face coverings and masks to be worn in all business in the city of Jackson and Madison county until August 29th.

Madison county is now at a total of 313 positive COVID-19 cases. 88 of those cases are currently active.

This number is up 15 from yesterdays total.

The county has seen a spike in cases over the past week, which has led to a new mandate.

“Today I am issuing order number four to mandate the use of facial coverings or mask", says Kim Tedford.

Director of the Jackson Madison County Regional Health Department, Kim Tedford, says this mandate is for all businesses in the county.

The only exemptions are places of worship, people who are under the age of two, and when people are sitting down in a restaurant eating or drinking.

If businesses do not follow this mandate they are subject to a misdemeanor

Tedford adds,“remind them that the mandate is in place, and if they continue not to do that, we will be notified here at the health department to issue a citation if we have businesses not following the mandate.”

City and county leaders say they are taking this step to avoid closing businesses, again.

"This is the alternative to closing businesses. We want to make sure that our economy stays open, we want to make sure people have jobs, that businesses stay open where we are able to do what we want to do", says City of Jackson Mayor, Scott Conger.

Now Tedford did say they will monitor the affects of this new mandate on the number of cases here in the area. Imani Williams, for 39 news, in Jackson.