Outspoken Maury County mayor says COVID-19 panic created by the media | Maury County
COLUMBIA, TN (WSMV) – Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who has been outspoken against the COVID-19 pandemic for months, said part of the panic about the virus has been created by the media.
“The virus is real. It is serious, but the panic that is ensured has been quite frankly, no offense, created by the media. That part of it is fake,” Ogles said in an interview with News4.
Ogles refused to put in place a mask mandate for Maury County earlier this month. The Tennessee Department of Health has reported 1,449 COVID-19 cases, 588 are still active, and 11 deaths in the county.
News4 reached out to Ogles after receiving a screenshot of a controversial comment he made on Facebook that said “I’m tired of this fake pandemic that has destroyed our economy.”
In an interview with News4, Ogles did not deny that the pandemic is real, but said he’s tired of witnessing a hurting economy.
“There was never a promise that this virus would be eradicated. We wanted to slow the spread so that our healthcare infrastructure could prepare,” said Ogles. “Well, it is, and we have to continue to protect those most vulnerable, but we also have to move forward and open our economy.”
Ogles said while some events have been canceled for safety reasons, the Maury County Fair will still take place. The fair will be held Sept. 1-5 at the Maury County Park.
Ogles encourages all of his residents to be safe by washing hands and practicing social distancing. While he stopped short of requiring masks, he did say he wore one on occasion.
