Tucker, GA — Tucker Mayor Frank Auman says it can’t hurt to wear a mask.

“Whether you’re vaccinated or not, I hope you’ll wear your mask in public, indoor areas. Let’s push back on the spread, kick the Delta variant and not go back to arguing about mask mandates,” Auman said in a video posted to the city’s Facebook page July 28.

In a short speech, Auman said he was hoping to be done wearing a mask. But with COVID-19 cases on the rise, the mayor is wearing a mask indoors. He said Tucker City Hall employees will wear masks in meetings and practice social distancing. Visitors to City Hall will also be asked to wear masks.

“Returning to our roots with the mask movement program, we’ll also make sure that if there are restaurants or other businesses in Tucker that need masks for their customers, we will supply those as well,” Auman said.

The city has not changed its position on holding meetings in person. A city official said the mayor and City Council members are “still discussing the best way forward on a meeting policy. In the meantime, we will proceed under our pre-COVID policy of holding meetings in person only.”

In DeKalb County, 44 percent of residents are vaccinated, according to DeKalb’s CEO Michael Thurmond. The CDC recommended this week that vaccinated individuals should resume wearing masks in public, indoor spaces and that everyone in K-12 schools should wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.

Unvaccinated residents should talk with a healthcare professional, Auman said. Ask questions, listen to their responses and decide carefully what’s best for you, your family and for your community, he said.

In July 2020, when nearby municipalities were instituting mask mandates, the City Council did not mandate masks. But the city has encouraged mask wearing, and Auman has consistently suggested wearing a mask.

“If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that the workers in places like restaurants and grocery stores, healthcare and other public-facing facilities have never stopped wearing masks. And like many of you, my response has been to wear my mask in those places, too. Healthwise, it can’t hurt, and might help. In terms of respect and care for your community, it can’t miss,” he said.

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