County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Thursday that he plans to extend the mask mandate in Hamilton County through Oct. 8. It had been set to expire on Sept. 8.
At a morning press conference, he called a number of local physicians and business leaders who said masks are effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus and necessary for businesses to keep operating.
Dr. Mark Anderson, infectious disease specialist, said the virus "is not going to go away any time soon. There are a lot of promising vaccines, but there is no guarantee they are going to work."
He said progress is being made in caring for COVID-19 patients, "but we still don't have a good treatment like we do for pneumonia."
Dr. Anderson said the wearing of masks "is proven beyond all doubt to work to decrease spread of this virus."
He said coronavirus appears not to be affected by the different seasons, but he said its increase or decrease is mainly based on the contact people have with one another. "When people get together, then it explodes," he said.
Dr. David Bruce said it was first stressed to keep surfaces clean, but it was learned that the virus is largely spread by droplets in the air rather than touching items."
He said the wearing of masks "allows us to open up our society."
Mitch Patel, owner of a chain of hotels, said the wearing of masks helps build consumer confidence. He said, even with the masks, that "many businesses will fail."
He said masks "not only save lives, but they save businesses and jobs."
Ken Defoor, another leading local businessman and owner of the Westin Hotel, said, "The convention business is gone and now we only have weekend travelers." He said, "If visitors do not see masks, they become very uncomfortable."
Barry White, who heads the Chattanooga Touring Company, said, "Masks are not a deterrent. They are actually a benefit. They are a reminder they are going into a safe place."
He said Chattanooga is largely dependent on the travel and tourism business and said it has been the hardest hit of all.