Kemp’s COVID-19 order extends restrictions, officially bans local mask mandates
Gov. Brian Kemp extended a set of coronavirus restrictions Wednesday night but is preventing local governments from enacting mask mandates as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the state of Georgia.
The order was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, and Kemp’s extension will be in effect until 11:59 p.m. July 31, according to the document.
The order bans gatherings of 50 or more people unless they are six or more feet apart. Previous distancing, safety, sanitation and other related protocols that Georgia businesses and other entities were required to implement to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus are extended as well.
Residents and visitors to the state are encouraged but not required to wear face coverings, and those who live in long-term care facilities or suffer from certain medical conditions must continue sheltering in place. Kemp’s newest order states local mask mandates are not allowed because they are “more restrictive” than the governor’s edict.
Previous executive orders from Kemp prevented local governments from enacting more or less restrictive measures, but Wednesday’s order was the first to mention local ordinances requiring the use of masks or face coverings. Several large Georgia cities, including Atlanta, Athens and Savannah, had issued mask mandates. Those ordinances are now “suspended,” according to the executive order.
“It is officially official,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson wrote on Twitter Wednesday night. “Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us. Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.”
In July, Georgia reported its largest single-day increase in newly reported cases. Current COVID-19 hospitalizations reached their highest point since April when the state began tracking the data. As of Wednesday, Georgia reported 127,834 COVID-19 cases and 3,091 deaths.
“To flatten the curve, I urge all local elected officials to enforce the terms of this order,” Kemp said in a Facebook post Wednesday night.
A copy of the 41-page order can be found below:
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Kemp’s COVID-19 order extends restrictions, officially bans local mask mandates."