What happens when Tennesseans with no mask mandate work in north Alabama?

LINCOLN COUNTY, TN. (WAFF) - The virus is spreading at a rapid rate not only here locally, but all over the United States.

However, Tennessee residents who work in Alabama fear some of their neighbors could be to blame for part of the spread in the Tennessee Valley.

Pastor Bruce McVey with First Presbyterian Church says he knows firsthand the seriousness of COVID-19. He was not only hospitalized with the virus, but he also had other family members diagnosed.

”I had a 104 degree fever. I couldn’t catch my breath. I was coughing,” Pastor McVey said. “I was impacted most severely and in the hospital with COVID pneumonia. I was quite ill for quite a while.”

Although Pastor McVey said he always asked his congregation to wear their masks, he now feels even stronger about them.

“Speaking for church, we have a scriptural mandate to protect and love our neighbors as ourselves,” McVey said. “So I feel those of us who are Christians, we certainly have a mandate to wear our mask while we are out in public.”

Unlike Alabama, Tennessee does not have a state mask mandate. Instead, it’s up to the leaders of each county to make that decision.

Kay Campbell is a Lincoln County resident who crosses state lines to teach in Huntsville. She is also the founder of the Facebook group, “Mask Up Lincoln County.”

Campbell said that not having a mask mandate in Tennessee not only negatively impacts Tennesseans, but also North Alabamians.

“I sure don’t want to have it,” Campbell said. “I don’t want to give it to any of my students. That would be horrible for me.”

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