Memphis could mandate wearing masks

Memphians could soon be required to masks in public — at least during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Memphis City Council is poised to consider on May 5 an ordinance that would mandate wearing masks in public places during public health emergencies, according to its agenda. A copy was not immediately available, but would likely only be in effect when the area was under a public health emergency.

The measure is being sponsored by Dr. Jeff Warren, a councilman who represents Super District 9 Position 1. He is among the local leaders on the Memphis and Shelby County COVID-19 joint taskforce.

In an interview with The Commercial Appeal, Warren described the desire to mandate masks in public places as one that he felt, as a practicing physician, could keep Memphis from being forced to close down its economy again without erasing the gains a five-week long shelter-at-home order has brought.

“We’ve stopped that horrible wave,” Warren said of averting an overwhelmed healthcare system.”the shutdown stopped that from happening. We’ve invested in our health by damaging our economy. We want to try to bring our economy back without wasting the investment we just made in the health of our citizens.”

Warren noted that Illinois had started mandating masks this week and that other areas are considering it. In some Asian countries, it is common for many people to wear masks when in public either voluntarily or by government mandate.

The councilman noted that many businesses can’t afford to shut down twice and the economic damage caused by having to return to stricter social distancing measures may be too much for some firms to bear.

“Every business can take one big hit. Repeated small hits will put us in a... depression worse than the Great Depression,”

said Warren.

It takes three readings for an ordinance to become law. That means, if all goes according to plan, the measure could take effect in late-may or early June, depending on the council’s schedule.

Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman @commercialappeal.com.

ARIEL COBBERT/ THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL A Fox13 Memphis reporter poses wearing a hand made face mask in Memphis, Tenn., on April 18.

MAX GERSH / THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Memphis City Council member Dr. Jeff Warren speaks March 23 during a press conference at City Hall in Memphis.