Concerns about a lack of face coverings being worn by grocery store workers and others who interact with customers has Nashville’s Metro Council considering a new requirement.
The group took the first step last night toward mandating that all public-facing “essential” workers wear face coverings.
“It does stipulate that employers would be responsible for any punitive measures because they were not covering their employees,” said Councilmember Joy Styles, who filed the proposal.
The council notes that the mayor’s continuing safer-at-home order does not explicitly address face coverings. The intent is to require face coverings for as long as the citywide order is in effect.
Councilmember Antoinette Lee supported the measure after saying she’d noticed grocery store employees without masks or gloves.
“I do think that since these are essential businesses, they should lead by example,” she said.
The proposal, BL2020-285, would also require construction workers to cover their faces on job sites with more than one person working. It awaits two more readings and votes at the council and would be enforced by Metro Health inspectors.
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