Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Effort Differs from County to County

UT Extension has a new calling: to serve as a public health lifeline in many of the state’s rural and suburban communities.

UT Extension has volunteered to be a resource to the state in this time of need.

With offices in each of the state’s 95 counties, UT Extension will assist local county health departments as needed in the distribution of facemasks across the state. The masks are being provided by the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group, led by Mark Ezell, Tennessee Commissioner for Tourist Development.

According to public health officials, social distancing and the wearing of facemasks in public places are among the main tools available to the public to fight the spread of the coronavirus at the center of the pandemic that causes COVID-19.

Extension offices will be involved in mask distribution in different ways and based on local needs to assist in public safety. The Governor’s Economic Recovery Group is supplying the first wave of masks, some 300,000, to all 95 of county and municipal health departments beginning this week. Additional masks will be distributed as they become available.

“UT Extension is eager to help in the distribution of the facemasks,” said Robert Burns, dean of UT Extension. “Extension has a history of assisting in times of crisis and we are ready to step up to help stamp out this pandemic.”