(RUTHERFORD COUNTY) A little over two-weeks ago, Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron announced that the county’s face covering order will be lifted effective Monday, March 15, 2021. The order has been in effect since last October. As of midnight, Sunday night - going into Monday, the mask mandate officially ended in Rutherford County, TN.
County Mayor Ketron said, “After much thought and careful examination of the data available, I am lifting the order on March 15 and asking our citizens to continue to be #RutherfordResponsible."
The mayor stressed, "We are not out of the woods yet with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Ketron acknowledged the Tennessee Department of Health’s recommendation to continue following public health recommendations including staying at least six feet away from others, avoiding crowds, and washing hands often.
Ketron concluded, “Even though the vaccine is available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that these health precautions are imperative. Utilizing all of these measures together with implementation of the vaccine, will hopefully get our community back to some sense of normalcy in the near future.”
“I believe in our citizens. I am confident that we can do this without forcing their hand,” said Ketron.
As part of the #RutherfordResponsible initiative, Mayor Ketron is partnering with local organizations such as the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Murfreesboro to gain support from local businesses.
County Mayor Ketron noted, “We are asking the businesses in our communities to adopt this initiative by posting ‘RutherfordResponsible’ signage in their windows or other prominent places in their establishments. This will identify that their business requires masks for employees and patrons. Much like the orders in other counties, we realize that there will be exceptions such as eating and drinking and outdoor activities that allow for proper social distancing.”
Again, when midnight arrived and Monday, March 15, 2021 officially began, the face mask mandate for Rutherford County ended.
