On July 17th, Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett issued Emergency Order #11, making face coverings in public mandatory for all residents and visitors to control the spread of COVID-19. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. July 20th.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, has issued Emergency Executive Order #11 requiring that all Clarksville, Montgomery County residents and visitors wear face coverings in public to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The exceptions to wearing a face-covering are outlined in Governor Lee’s previous Executive Order #54.
The latest order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. July 20, 2020, and is set expire at 12:01 a.m. on July 27, 2020, states that it is ordered that cloth or other face coverings that cover the nose and mouth of a person to impede the spread of the virus during speaking, coughing, sneezing or other action, shall be required in Montgomery County, Tennessee, within all publicly-accessible areas of commercial business establishments; public outdoor areas where social distancing of at least six feet cannot be maintained; and within publicly-accessible areas of business offices where there is direct interaction with the public and social distancing of at least six feet cannot be maintained.
On Friday, July 17, Mayor Durrett met with City Mayor Joe Pitts as well as Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson, Clarksville Police Department Chief David Crockarell, and Director of Medical Services Jimmie Edwards to review the mandate. Mayor Durrett also conferred with Director of Clarksville-Montgomery County School System Millard House and Austin Peay State University President Alisa White regarding the newest mandate.
Also stated in the order, businesses and facilities will be required to post signage requesting that patrons wear masks. Previous, orders mandated that anyone working in a business that served the public needs to wear a mask. Those orders will be vacated and replaced by the new emergency order that everyone to wear masks, on July 20. Suggested wording for the signage can be found at mcgtn.org.
“I realize there are varying opinions about wearing a face-covering. The use of face coverings in a preferred alternative to the closing of businesses and preventing schools from re-opening, which could likely become necessary if some action is not taken. This is the best defense against coronavirus we have at this time. The great thing is that we can all play a role in stopping the spread of the virus and I have no doubt that our community prefers the use of face coverings over continued closures of schools and business,” stated Mayor Durrett.
“As always, I appreciate Mayor Durrett bringing the city to the table and asking for our input. We know we are in this together and I also agree that we need to do what we can to slow the spread of this virus to have the best outcome for our citizens,” said Mayor Pitts.
Sheriff Fuson and Chief Crockarell agreed that overall, people have been following the rules during this outbreak and they are committed to having their officers work first to educate and encourage the public to wear face coverings before giving citations.
A list of national companies such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens and Kroger have also announced the requirement to wear masks in their place of business.
The data will continue to be reviewed by local leaders and health officials and the local order will be extended or ceased accordingly. For more information about Montgomery County Services and COVID-19 information, visit mcgtn.org or call 931-648-5787.
