What you can and can’t do under Georgia’s coronavirus shelter-in-place order
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Thursday evening released his shelter-in-place order, providing further details about how it will affect Georgians as state officials try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The order goes into effect 6 p.m. Friday and ends at 11:59 p.m. April 13. State residents must remain at home, with certain exceptions. People are allowed to leave their homes for necessary trips like stops at the pharmacy, grocery store, to pick up food, to go to work and to get to medical appointments. You do not need a note from your employer or the government to prove your reason for travel.
People must remain six feet apart when gathering in groups of 10 or more at all times. You can’t have visitors at your home unless they are providing various medical or mental health-related services. Visitors are also allowed if they are bringing food and supplies necessary for day-to-day life or the maintenance of your home. Kemp’s order also provides exemptions for end of life situations.
Georgia officials recommend the state’s homeless residents contact local governments and other nonprofit entities to help them find shelter.
“The key takeaway is that you need to stay in your house as much as possible, but we recognize there are circumstances when you will need to leave,” state officials said. “Keep those circumstances rare.”
What is closed?
- Bars
- Nightclubs
- Gyms
- Fitness centers
- Bowling allies
- Theaters
- Live performance venues and amusement parks
- Dine-in services at restaurants and private social clubs. Curbside, take-out and delivery options are still allowed. Hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care centers can still have dine-in services.
- Those who offer waxing, eyelash extensions and other beautician-related services.
- Hair designers
- Tattoo parlors
- Beauty shops, salons and barbershops. Those include home shops as well.
- Schools for barbering, salons, cosmetology, nail care and hair design
- Massage therapy
What is open?
Other businesses will be allowed to operate under specific conditions, including:
- Grocery stores
- Pharmacies
- Restaurants for curbside pickup, to-go or delivery
- Hospitals and other healthcare facilities
- Convenience stores
Kemp’s order states that businesses deemed critical infrastructure by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will continue to operate including (but not limited to):
- Healthcare
- Law enforcement and first responders
- Food and agriculture
- Financial services
- Energy sector
- Home hospice care
- Legal services
- Nonprofits that offer health or mental health service or food distribution
Kemp said these businesses that continue in-person operations must implement measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The state has outlined 16 recommendations tied to sanitation, health screening and hygiene that it would like to see these businesses implement.
Some of these recommended measures include:
- Screening employees who show symptoms of COVID-19. If you’re sick don’t come in.
- Providing protective equipment as available.
- Requiring hand washing and sanitation. Workers should also be giving sanitation and cleaning supplies to keep their area and equipment clean.
- Staggering shifts, hold meetings virtually and, if possible, allowing teleworking
- Preventing workers from gathering during work hours. Employees can take lunch and other breaks outside the office provided social distancing can be maintained.
- Suspending the use of PIN and credit card signature requirements.
Other businesses not deemed critical infrastructure are limited to minimum basic operations. They will continue to operate in a limited capacity and must allow employees to work from home if possible. These businesses must implement a set of 20 requirements handed down by the state tied to sanitation, health screening and hygiene if they want to remain open.
Some of these mandatory measures include:
- Screening employees who show symptoms of COVID-19. If you’re sick don’t come in.
- Providing protective equipment as available.
- Requiring hand washing and sanitation. Workers should also be given sanitation and cleaning supplies to keep their area and equipment clean.
- Staggering shifts, holding meetings virtually and, if possible, allowing teleworking. If you can provide certain services virtually, you must do so whenever possible.
- Preventing workers from gathering during work hours. Employees can take lunch and other breaks outside the office provided social distancing can be maintained.
- Enforcing social distancing and increase the distance between employees and patrons. Employees must be six feet apart from each other.
- Establishing points of sale outside of the business like curbside pick-up or delivery when allowed under existing Georgia laws.
- Suspending the use of PIN and credit card signature requirements.
You can still exercise, visit state parks and play outdoor sports like golf.
Kemp explicitly stated that his order does not prohibit the sale of guns or ammunition.
State law enforcement and local sheriff’s offices are enforcing Kemp’s order. Kemp gave local sheriff’s offices the authority to shut down businesses and other entities that aren’t following the order Friday.
Violation of the order can result in a misdemeanor. Offenders will receive a warning and risk further criminal charges for failure to comply. Officers should take “reasonable steps” before issuing a citation or taking other action, state officials said.
Other details regarding the order can be found in the document below:
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 7:35 PM with the headline "What you can and can’t do under Georgia’s coronavirus shelter-in-place order."