Roane County is now under a mask mandate effective this morning (Monday, November 23, 2020)

Roane County Executive Ron Woody issued the following statement with the mandate:

“It is with a lot of thought, consultation, and analysis that I place Roane County under a mask mandate effective immediately. Roane County’s numbers of positive cases and deaths have risen over the last month with having some relief the last several days.

I hope the community will take the order without causing more division among our citizens. I hope no law enforcement will be needed due to this order.

My office has been granted by the Governor’s power to make the mask mandate, but the Executive Office is not involved in the enforcement. The mandate is made with limitations as noted in Governor Lee’s Executive Order 54 extended by Orders 59, 63, and 67, expiring December 29, 2020 if not extended.

We (county mayors/executives) have a call with Governor Bill Lee this week, and we anticipate that he will look at having a statewide mandate, but in the event that he does or does not, we are placing Roane County under a mask mandate effective immediately.”

As of this morning (Monday, November 23, 2020), Roane County has 343 active cases of COVID-19 with 23 fatalities.

There are exemptions from wearing a mask based on the governors executive order giving power to county mayors and executives to put into place a mask mandate. They are as follows:

1. Within one’s residence or automobile, unless transporting others for hire;
2. By a child twelve (12) years of age or younger;
3. By someone who has trouble breathing due to an underlying health condition or another bona fide medical or health-related reason for not wearing a face covering;
4. By someone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance;
5. While eating or drinking;
6. While outdoors, unless the person cannot substantially maintain appropriate social distancing from others outside of the person’s household;
7. While working under conditions where appropriate social distancing from others outside of the person’s household is substantially maintained;
8. Persons who are engaging in strenuous exercise and/or physical activity, provided, however, that such persons shall maintain 6-foot social distancing when not wearing a face covering;
9. In situations in which wearing a face covering poses a safety or security risk;
10. While in a house of worship unless required by that house of worship, but wearing a face covering in such locations is strongly encouraged.

This order is for Roane County and not neighboring counties including Cumberland.

Cumberland County has 366 active cases as of this morning with 35 deaths.

Cumberland County does not have a mask mandate as of 10 a.m. Monday, November 23, 2020.