County Mayor Jim Coppinger on Tuesday said he was extending the mask mandate for Hamilton County another 45 days. It now runs through Nov. 22.
He said there are encouraging signs that COVID-19 numbers are leveling off here, and he said wearing masks has been a major factor.
County Mayor Coppinger said, "You don't want to get this virus. You may breeze through it, but who knows the health effects three years, five years or 10 years down the road."
He said another person here has died from the virus, bringing the total to 99.
The county mayor said mask wearing is allowing county residents to get back to some sort of normalcy and get the economy going again. He said the county employment rate at one point topped 15 percent and is now down to 7.7 percent.
At a press conference, Dr. Mark Anderson said, "It is looking better as far as the numbers - in spite of school starting back and a major holiday. But we are concerned that complacency might set in and people will let their guard down."
He said, "We who treat people with COVID fear this virus. Most people who get it don't get very sick, but a lot do. Its effects can last a long time - perhaps for the rest of their lives."
Dr. Anderson said, "Watching COVID patients, I can tell you I don't want it."
Dr. David Bruce said of those who contract COVID "even if you don't have symptoms, it can damage your lungs." He said an examination of some of those who got the virus on a cruise ship and did not have symptoms showed that there was damage to many of their lungs.
He said one high point of all the safety precautions in place is that the flu is down 90 percent. "It is the lowest in reported history in the U.S."
Dr. Bruce said there is also a promising new medication believed to be four times as strong as the Remdesivir that President Donald Trump was recently given. He said, "It may be a game changer."
Dr. Lisa Smith pointed out that COVID can be harmful to children and sometimes kill them. She said the first instance of a child death from the virus in the country was a child from North Georgia at a local hospital. She said another child death here was the sixth one in the nation.
Dr. Smith said, "Both adults and children need layers of protection" - including masks and social distancing.
She warned, "Sharing food and drinks is a great way to get the virus."