NASHVILLE – Health officials in Hamilton, Davidson and Shelby counties say they already have or plan to resume distribution of free cloth masks to the public after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency weighed in that the masks are safe.
But Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke told reporters during a Friday conference call that the city, which received 20,000 of the Renfro Corp.-made masks treated with the anti-microbial chemical Silvadur 930 Flex, has no current plans to distribute them.
“Public trust is of the utmost importance, especially when it comes to the health and safety of Chattanoogans. We want to make sure we have had sufficient time to review the EPA report and get any additional information we may need before moving forward,” Berke said in an emailed statement clarifying his remarks after the call.
Hamilton County Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes told the Times Free Press on Thursday that “we have resumed distribution. We gave out some boxes today and some more [are] going out tomorrow.”
Gov. Bill Lee’s administration purchased 5 million of the masks, made from black sock material, from North Carolina-based manufacturer Renfro at a cost of some $8.2 million to provide Tennesseans with some protection against exposure to the coronavirus.