"The physicians of the Tennessee Medical Association have consistently recommended that mask requirement orders be issued in all counties with over 10 new cases per 100,000 population per day. Since the best county in Tennessee at present has over 80 new cases/100,000/day over the past 7 days, we believe all Tennessee counties should be under mask requirement orders at this time.

"We agree that the next several weeks will be a critical time for Tennessee in regards to the COVID pandemic. We expect serious illnesses and deaths to significantly increase in coming weeks. We plead with all Tennesseans to stay safe, stay apart, wear masks, and stay home to protect their families and friends from this deadly virus."

- Kevin Smith, MD, PhD, President, Tennessee Medical Association