Metro Council advances mask mandate ordinance

After Nashville's public health director declined to bring back a countywide mask mandate earlier this month, the Metro Council on Tuesday night narrowly advanced a bill that would implement one by city ordinance. 

Following some debate, the bill passed on the second of three required readings by a vote of 21 to 12, with four councilmembers abstaining. On Sept. 7, the council passed a resolution urging the the Metro health department to put a mask mandate in place as it did during an earlier wave of the pandemic last year. But city health officials are resisting a return to those sorts of interventions and restrictions, in large part because of the presence now of highly effective vaccines, but also out of fear of preemption or retaliation from state lawmakers.