A resolution Ernest Brooks II presented to fellow members of the Jackson City Council requesting Gov. Bill Lee issue a statewide mask mandate to help fight COVID-19, passed during the Council’s monthly meeting at City Hall, Tuesday.

Seven members of the council approved the resolution, Gary Pickens abstained and Harvey Buchanan was absent.

“Cases are spiking all over the country compromising our hospital system, closing our schools and we all had a very, very different Thanksgiving,” Brooks said, “This is not a hoax, it did not magically disappear and hydroxychloroquine did not work … this has been the most flawed, chaotic and inept response to a public health crisis in our nation’s history.”

Brooks said he is asking the City of Jackson to join Chattanooga, Bartlett, Germantown, Tennessee Education Association and the Tennessee Nurses Association among others to support this resolution.

“I’m asking the council to put people over party, and protect the health and well-being of our citizens,” Brooks said, “We know that this virus does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, socioeconomic level – or any other level, and it sure does not respect county boundaries.”

Brooks said he applauded the mask mandate for Jackson and Madison County, but said it does no good if surrounding counties are not participating.

“Citizens come here to work, for school, for recreation from all of the surrounding counties,” Brooks said, “For those reasons, I (asked) the council approve this resolution, so we can send a message to our Governor, that the citizens of the state of Tennessee deserve to have such a mandate in place.”

(PHOTO: Ernest Brooks II is fourth from the right in July, 2019 photograph)