CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Mayor Joe Pitts has directed that all staff and visitors to City of Clarksville offices and facilities continue to wear face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The mayor’s directive will remain in place until further notice.
“I still recommend City employees and visitors to wear masks when they enter our buildings and keep them on in any setting where they cannot maintain social distancing,” Mayor Pitts. “Mask-wearing is still an effective way of preventing the spread of this disease, and we need to keep looking out for one another.”
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett announced Monday he would not extend his emergency order requiring employees of businesses open to the public to wear masks.
However, Durrett also directed that anyone entering a county-owned facility will be required to wear a mask. So, while an emergency order will not be in effect, Montgomery County, the City of Clarksville and Clarksville-Montgomery County School System all are continuing to require visitors to their offices and facilities wear masks.
Both mayors said some businesses may continue to require that employees and patrons wear face-coverings, which is permissible and at the discretion of the business owners.
“We highly encourage business owners and the public to continue to wear masks when social distancing cannot be achieved,” Mayor Durrett said. “This virus has not gone away, and we all need to be mindful of those we are around.”
Technically, Mayor Durrett’s executive order requiring masks in businesses serving the public will expire at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29. Gov. Bill Lee, who had issued an order in June allowing county mayors to choose to mandate face coverings in their counties, did not renew that order.
More local information on COVID-19 is available at www.mcgtn.net and www.cityofclarksville.com.