Hawkins Mayor: Mask mandate has expired as of midnight Sept. 29

Hawkins County Mayor Jim Lee has allowed for the locality’s mask mandate to expire as of midnight Tuesday.

In a message posted to Facebook, Lee stated that the original face covering mandate was put in order because the hospital system was in crisis, with that measure working to get the situation under control.

While Mayor Lee did not state his will extend Hawkins County’s mask mandate into Oct, he encourages all residents in the county to continue wearing some form of face covering.