› Gov. Lee defends mask response,
Governor promotes mask use, vaccinations as Tennessee becomes top state for infections
Despite record-high COVID-19 infections among school-age children and school districts struggling to stay open, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is standing by his administration’s response, insisting parents — not officials — know what’s best for their children.
“I still believe that a parent is the best decider of what is appropriate for their child,” Lee said during a Thursday news conference. “That’s been driving our strategy thus far.”
Daily infections among children between ages 5 and 18 have climbed to the highest level since the pandemic began, state data shows. In total, more than 154,000 children between ages 5 and 18 have been infected since the start of the pandemic.
At least 19 school districts have closed since early August beause of outbreaks and staffing shortages.
Meanwhile, school districts aren’t allowed to fully shift to remote learning, although the Tennessee Department of Education has rolled out a process to allow individual schools to request a waiver to switch to remote education.
The department had received 15 waiver requests as of Thursday and approved 10.
Several school districts have implemented mask mandates, including in some rural counties, and Lee has allowed parents to opt their children out of the policies. His executive order has been criticized for overriding local mask requirements so they are effectively recommendations.
The decision triggered a federal probe from the U.S. Department of Education, which argues Tennessee may infringe upon schools’ federal obligations to maintain a safe learning environment.
On Thursday, Lee acknowledged the effectiveness of masks in schools and vaccination for children ages 12 and up.
“We believe that masks work and that if you want to protect your kid against (COVID-19), one tool that you would have is to send your kid to school with a mask,” he said.
But he stopped short of committing to any additional measures, insisting he needs to balance school districts’ rights to make policy with parents’ right to make decisions for their children.
“What we are trying to do is provide for as much protection as possible and provide for the rights of parents to have the last say in their children’s health,” he said. “You don’t have to exclude. You don’t have to have ‘either or.’ If you really believe it, you can find a way forward.”
The raging infections among children have attracted concerns from the American Academy of Pediatrics in Tennessee. The group met with Lee on Wednesday and urged the governor to adopt further restrictive measures in a Thursday letter.
“We are saddened by the increased school closures as it doesn’t appear that we are actively learning from them or benefiting from the lived experience of last year’s mitigation measures,” the letter says. “We hope that we can implement robust mitigation measures to control further surges this year while we eagerly anticipate increased vaccinations and expansion to younger ages.”
The group urged Lee to require vaccination for everyone ages 12 and up and mandate mask wearing inside schools. They also recommended increased access to testing, social distancing, proper ventilation and hygiene measures such as hand-washing.
“I value their input,” Lee said. Tennessee now has the most COVID-19 infections per capita among all states, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Wednesday, Tennessee reported 710 infections per 10,000 residents during the prior seven days, the highest rate in the nation.
Almost all of Tennessee’s COVID-19 metrics are rapidly worsening.
By Wednesday, Tennessee was averaging 7,700 confirmed cases and 38 deaths per day — the highest level since the delta variant ignited a wave of infections in the state, state data shows. The weekly positivity rate topped 19%. The CDC predicts the death rate could approximately double within the next month.
Tennessee’s ICU cases are 20% higher than the winter surge, and ventilator use is 40% higher compared to that time, Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said during the Thursday news conference.
“Our hospitals are in dire straits,” she said.
The state also set new records in hospitalization counts and infections among school-age children. Both numbers reached the highest level since the pandemic began last year.
Immediately following the news conference Thursday, a group of doctors followed Lee as he left, attempting to deliver to the governor an open letter that called for a universal mask mandate without opt-outs. They chased after Lee and shouted questions at him.
“How do you feel about children getting sick and dying from COVID?” one of them asked.
Lee walked away without addressing them.
The letter, which received verified signatures from almost 5,000 medical professionals, urges the governor to allow for universal mask mandates.
Mary Barnes, one of the doctors at the state Capitol, said the documents contained more than 150 pages of signatures from physicians.
In response to Lee’s comment that he appreciates pediatricians’ input, Barnes said not heeding health professionals’ advice is “reckless.”
“This is just reckless,” she said as she choked up. “It’s unethical, and it’s preventable. It shouldn’t be happening.”