Benton County mayor issues local mask order; commission urges statewide mandate

Benton County Mayor Brett Lashlee issued an executive order on Jan. 19 requiring face coverings in publicly accessible areas of commercial businesses and in outdoor areas where six-foot distancing cannot be maintained, effective Jan. 20, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. The order, styled Executive Order No. 7, sets temporary retail occupancy limits, requires signage and social-distancing measures, and lists exemptions including children under age 12 and people who cannot safely wear a face covering for medical reasons.

The order states, "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 Benton County, Tennessee, within all public-accessible areas of commercial business establishments," language included in the county's formal declaration and signed by Mayor Brett Lashlee.

At the Jan. 19 meeting, the County Commission also passed Resolution 20210119-04 urging Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to issue a statewide mask mandate. Sponsors cited a recent rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations, state-level public-health warnings, and reports of new, more transmissible variants. The recorded roll-call tally was YES 9, NO 4, ABSTAIN 2, ABSENT 3.

The local executive order directs businesses to post signage at entrances informing patrons of the mask requirement, enforce reduced store occupancy (no more than 10% of stated fire capacity in most stores, with a special upper limit of 300 customers for very large stores), and take steps such as marked six-foot spacing and designated employees to monitor distancing and sanitation. The order also notes that enforcement is available under Tennessee law and characterizes violations as a Class A misdemeanor, while emphasizing that education and voluntary compliance are preferred.

The order is temporary: it takes effect Jan. 20, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. and is set to expire Jan. 27, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. unless the county mayor amends or extends it. The commission's resolution urging a statewide mandate will be transmitted to the county's state delegation.

Why it matters: The county action establishes short-term local requirements intended to reduce community transmission and to relieve pressure on health-care facilities. The commission's resolution signals local concern about statewide policy and seeks action from the governor as cases and hospitalizations rose in Tennessee in January 2021.

Next steps: The executive order took effect as scheduled; county officials said enforcement and outreach would be the immediate priorities and that any longer-term local measures would depend on case trends and state guidance.