Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond says he supports Governor Bill Lee's new executive order restricting public indoor gatherings to no more than 10 people.
Lee issued the order on Sunday but stopped short of issuing a statewide mask mandate, a decision that has drawn praise from some Republican leaders but sharp criticism from the medical community as the state last week ranked worst in the nation for new COVID-19 cases by population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over a seven-day rolling average, Tennessee's average number of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases per day was 135.6 per 100,000 people. No other state was even close as of Thursday, although Oklahoma has since risen to the No. 1 spot.
In a statement on Monday, Hammond said, "In light of the continuing increase of COVID-19 cases we are seeing, I support Governor Bill Lee's directive to limit public gatherings to 10 people as we seek to slow the spread of this virus, especially throughout the holiday season."
His office declined to clarify whether Hammond would support a statewide mask mandate, stating, "The sheriff is only offering the statement I sent earlier."
Hamilton County has issued its own mask mandate that will last at least into early 2021.
In his statement, Hammond said that, "as someone who has experienced COVID-19 firsthand, I understand the serious health issues surrounding the virus and how quickly it can affect someone," he continued. "While this directive may not be popular with all our citizens, the safety and well-being of our community is paramount as we attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19."
Hammond, who is in his 70s, was hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus in October. He was said to have experienced mild symptoms and had trouble with oxygen levels. He was discharged within about a week.
Over the summer, Hammond questioned the effectiveness of masks to stifle the spread of the coronavirus, telling Newschannel 9, "My personal thoughts, I'm not convinced the masks are doing that much good."
Upon testing positive for the virus, Hammond reversed course, saying he "didn't mean it in the spirit that I know better than the scientists did" and that his opinion "has always been masks cannot hurt."
"I think that masking is an individual choice," he said at the time. "If you are asked to wear masks, you should be kind enough to tell the person, 'Yes, I will either mask up or remove myself from the area.' That's my position on it, that you use caution. You protect your own family. You protect yourself. And you try to protect others."
On Monday, Hammond said, "As my office has demonstrated since the pandemic began, it is neither my goal nor my objective to have my deputies actively seeking violators out. I am going to continue to leave the enforcement of this order to my deputies' discretion and be reviewed on a case by case basis. It is my hope our citizens will understand the importance of slowing the spread of COVID and will continue to take the necessary precautions this holiday season. I strongly encourage Hamilton County citizens and those visiting our county to comply with the Governor's directives. It is up to each of us to do our part to mitigate this deadly virus."
Contact Rosana Hughes at 423-757-6327, rhughes@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.