County Mayor Issues New Mask Mandate

Published October 22, 2020

A new mask mandate will go into effect for Williamson County beginning Saturday, October 24.

County Mayor Rogers Anderson made the announcement Thursday at a news conference in Franklin. Anderson says the decsion to require cloth or other face coverings in certain circumstances was made after consultation with mayors of the various municipalities in Williamson County, the school superintendents for the two school districts within the county, as well as physicians and members of the health care community.

Anderson says the number of COVID-19 cases has significantly increased in the past 30 days, putting the continued operation of businesses, schools and governmental services in jeopardy.

“No one likes the fact that it is necessary to reinstitute a mask mandate in our county," said Anderson. "Unfortunately, the numbers can’t be ignored."

Williamson County Schools will continue its expectation that students and staff will wear cloth face coverings while in school buildings or at school events.

“Our district mirrors the Williamson County community as we are also are seeing an increase in COVID-19 numbers,” said Superintendent Jason Golden. “Mayor Anderson’s action supports the efforts of our school district to keep our students and staff safe, and we will continue to take the advice of our heath authorities and stress the importance of social distancing, good hygiene and wearing masks.”

The Williamson County Emergency Management Agency is releasing a COVID-19 Toolkit today which has information on safety measures, decision making regarding social events and more. Citizens and local partners can find the tool kit at www.williamsonready.org.

A local, Williamson County COVID-19 hotline number will also be available beginning Monday, October 25, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for any questions or concerns. The number is (615) 595-4880. For more information on Governor Lee’s executive orders and statewide COVID-19 numbers, visit https://covid19.tn.gov/. 

See below for the full recording of Mayor Anderson's October 22 press conference.

In a show of solidarity, a number of city, school, business and community leaders joined Mayor Anderson for this video encouraging all Williamson County residents to do their part.