Mandatory Mask Policy In The Shoals?

Breken Terry spoke with the mayors of Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Florence about why masks likely won't be mandatory there.

Tonight -- i'm dan shaffer.

And i'm najahe sherman.

Everyone recommends a mask to slow coronavirus but no one in our area is forced to wear one.

Waay 31's breken terry is live in the shoals after learning why masks likely won't be mandatory there.

I spoke with the mayors of sheffield, tuscumbia, and here in florence.

They all tell me making a mandatory mask order for their cities wouldn't be feasible to enforce.

Holt- my message is masks are recommended but not required.

Florence mayor steve holt told me with 90 to 100 police officers working three shifts enforcing a mask ordinance isn't doable.

Holt- it would detract our entire police force in trying to see if you have a mask on rather than the other issues of the day.

Holt told me wearing a mask is a personal choice.

Tuscumbia mayor kerry underwood agrees.

Underwood- mandating something like that what you wear when your outside your own home feels like an over reach of what my role and responsibility as a mayor is.

Underwood left his mask in his truck for this interview.

He admits the mask debate is tough.

Underwood- this is an issue i struggle with internally because i have people i know who are susceptible including my parents because of their age and so for them i want to be safe and protected and i want people to behave as they should to protect those people around them.

Alabama set a record with more than 11 hundred reported new cases today.

21 of them are in the shoals.

For healthcare officials masks are a must.

Buchanan- while we see more activity in the community we really think the lack of masking the lack of face covering is what's attributing to the higher numbers rather than the pier activity.

The sheffield mayor told me he wouldn't be opposed to a mask order if all four cities agreed to it because that would make it easier to enforce.

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