Business Owners Torn About Reverse Mask Mandate Requirements

By Katelynn White

Nashville, TN (TN Tribune) Beginning May 14th, the Mask mandate for indoor facilities will end. Davidson county will no longer participate in the mask mandate that was set in June of last year.

Residents of Davidson County can now remove their masks if they are vaccinated.This may come as a surprise for business and store owners after the Metro Health Department of Nashville announced differently Thursday.

The Metro Health Department claimed that mask mandates would continue for Davidson County. Their announcement differed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agency. The CDC suggested that Americans who are fully vaccinated can dispose of their masks. The nation’s health protection agency also stated that
Americans who are vaccinated are not required to continue to participate in indoor or outdoor social distancing.

The Metro Health Department has now announced that “The Board Chair and the Director of Health, and Metro Public Health Department epidemiologists met following this afternoon’s Board meeting to further evaluate the new
recommendations regarding mask usage that were issued by the CDC just prior to the Board of Health meeting. After further review, a decision was made to end the Public Health indoor mask order. We expect the order to expire on Friday, May 14. The MPHD continues to strongly recommend wearing masks for those who are unvaccinated when in crowds, indoors, and when unable to socially distance, as also recommended by the CDC. Each individual business retains the right to set their own restrictions regarding the use of masks.”

Business and store owners have different out-takes on the mask mandate being uplifted.

Store manager, Andrea. B states, I’ve been in this business for twenty years. I have never had these types of issues. I can’t get vaccinated; I have people who work for me that can’t get vaccinated because we can’t get out the building to get vaccinated so to lift this is just ridiculous at this point. You’re putting me out there as if I don’t matter.”

While Andrea held utter disbelief and disapproval towards the reverse mask mandate, other business owners like Cedric Leslie were pro-choice on the option to wear a mask. Leslie was also an advocate for more people receiving the vaccine.

“I’m neither for or against mask it’s all about your safety! The people need to wear mask for it to go back to normal so if you don’t wanna wear mask, but you want to come out and have fun and barbecue just go get vaccination. It’s a lot of stuff that your taking right now that you don’t know what’s in it, that you let other people suggest you to take for headaches and stomach aches and yeah ain’t no telling what’s in it, my thing is the vaccination has not killed anyone yet so I’m for the vaccination, but if you’re not I understand but your not going to get life back to normal until you
get vaccinated.” Leslie explained.

Mayor Cooper believes this is the right time to end restrictions. Cooper said, “Due to the vaccine, 300,000 Nashvillians have now been vaccinated —and with the vaccine comes reopening.”

The only COVID restriction that will continue is the indoor mask mandate for people who have not been vaccinated, but the capacity restrictions have also ended.