Gibson County residents respond to COVID spike, discuss local mask use

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Gibson County is one of many Tennessee counties that is now seeing a resurgence in coronavirus cases. Despite this, Gibson County does not have a mask mandate.

As the situation continues, there is a split opinion on what the next step is.

“It should be mandatory, I think everybody should wear them,” said Gibson County resident Raymie Craig.

“There should be a mask mandate up in Gibson County,” resident Aleeyah Wardlow said. “To ensure the safety of everyone, to make sure the spread of the coronavirus is going down.”

“I don’t think we should force people. Because the people are going to do what they want,” resident Leidy Lopez-Hernandez said.

“For the most part, we should wear them out in public and when we are around other people, but having a mandate I think takes away our right, and our ability to make our own decisions,” said Garry Mason, executive director of Northwest Tennessee Tourism.

Most people we talked to did say their communities were maintaining good mask use.

“Yeah, I think they’re doing what they can,” Wardlow said.

“I think most people in northwest Tennessee are wearing masks, especially when they’re in public and around other people,” Mason said.

But not everyone agreed.

“No, I don’t think they are,” Craig said. “With the flu, you go in the hospital and if it’s the flu, you wear your mask because you know its there. Well we know that COVID’s here, you should wear your mask.”

As cases continue to rise, some residents are noticing the effects.

“It’s been getting worse,” said Lopez-Hernandez. “I’ve been hearing about a lot of people getting sick and being at the hospital.”

So far, five counties in West Tennessee have a mask mandate: Madison, Henry, Weakley, Dyer, and Obion.