Masks, Murals, and the Midway Point
It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through the year, summer is here and many people are gearing up for the Fourth of July holiday this weekend. While you, your family and friends are making plans I want to remind you that COVID-19 is still very prevalent in our community.
I know we’re all ready for a return to more normal times but until there is a vaccine we all are going to have to take simple, life-saving measures to stop the spread of the virus in Chattanooga. Measures like:
- Stay home if you can, especially if you are in a high-risk category.
- Wear a mask if you must be in public.
- Maintain six feet of distance between you and other people.
- Wash your hands and disinfect surfaces regularly.
- Do not gather in large groups.
Wearing a mask is vitally important and it shouldn’t be seen as partisan or a political statement. A new study from the University of Washington shows that wearing a mask, whether cloth or medical grade, can help reduce the risk of respiratory illness like COVID-19 by more than one-third.
Many people have asked me to implement a mask mandate for our city. An earlier executive order from Governor Lee, states that only the Hamilton County Health Department has the authority to issue orders regarding COVID-19 policies. Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it’s a public health and safety necessity right now.
It’s clear right now that asking residents to voluntarily wear masks isn't enough. We need to normalize mask wearing as a measure to help prevent the spread, so send us your mask selfie via Twitter, Facebook, or email at mayor@chattanooga.gov, and use the hashtag #MaskUpCHA.
Please note that free community testing is still available. However, many sites will not be running testing this weekend due to the Fourth of July holiday. For a calendar listing of all sites visit cha.city/covidtesting. You can also call the Hamilton County Health Department to learn more about testing at (423) 209-8383.
While the holiday this weekend is about celebrating our country’s history, I encourage you all to think about some of the more uncomfortable pieces of our history -- the slavery of and the denial of human and civil rights for Black and brown Americans.
Our country as a whole is in the middle of an important and much-needed conversation about the systemic oppression that black and brown Americans have faced for hundreds of years.
The City recently helped facilitate the installation of a ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural in front of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. For decades, the MLK Boulevard corridor has been a district celebrating black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and entertainment. While this area has experienced more recent development and gentrification, this mural, which honors African-Americans struggle for human and civil rights, also serves to symbolically return the street to the black and brown community and give prominence to their voices and vision for this corridor and public art in this area going forward.
Please stay safe this weekend and wear your mask.