KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The city of Knoxville is requiring everyone to mask up again if they enter a city building, regardless of if they have been vaccinated for COVID-19.
Kristin Farley, director of Knoxville communications, said the city is following recent guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Spanish Version: Ciudad de Knoxville modifica regla sobre uso de mascarillas
Effectively immediately, all city employees and visitors will be required to have a mask on in most indoor settings at city-operated buildings, regardless of vaccination status
"We thank you for your cooperation and encourage everyone to get vaccinated,” she said.
The change comes amid a recent rise in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations over the past two weeks -- a 204% increase in Tennessee alone -- driven by a surge of cases involving the highly infectious Delta variant.
The simplest way to halt the latest surge across Tennessee is to get a vaccine, Tennessee Department of Health commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey told reporters Monday. Most people -- 93% -- who are getting sick have never had the vaccine, she said.
"Vaccinations are the single greatest tool we have to prevent COVID-19 in ourselves and in our communities," Piercey said.