To this point, the Knox County Health Department has been making the final decision on when to move forward during Knox County’s reopening. On Friday, KCHD announced they would be meeting this week with the Board of Health about phase three of reopening.

KCHD Director Martha Buchanan explains why the Board of Health wasn’t already involved in the decision making process.

“We had not involved the Board of Health as it has not been the practice,” explained Buchanan. “We have not been a policy making body. I have not been a policy making public person.”

What Buchanan is referring to is the fact that her guidelines through KCHD have been suggestions to the public, but were not officially public policy that was enforceable through law enforcement.

“This is a shift we’re making for individual situations and for making policy for the community,” Buchanan added.

The meeting is set for Wednesday, June 17.