Mask Order Cancelled For City Buildings

In response to declining numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Whitfield County, the Dalton Mayor and Council has rescinded an order requiring masks inside City-owned buildings. The vote came at the end of Monday night's meeting of the mayor and council by a unanimous 4-0 vote. Mayor David Pennington typically only votes in the event of a tie. 

The order requiring masks had been put back in place on August 16th, 2021 in response to a rise in cases amid the Delta variant wave of COVID-19. Masks were required for visitors and employees in public areas of City-owned buildings as well as in private areas of the buildings when social distancing could not be accomplished. On Monday night, City Councilmember Annalee Harlan reported to the council that new cases of the virus and hospitalizations at Hamilton Medical Center had declined since the height of recent waves of infections and made a motion to rescind the order. The vote to remove the order was unanimous. 

The City Council intends to continue monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Dalton and Whitfield County and has the option to put the mask order for City-owned buildings back into effect if the conditions worsen.