Georgia governor reopens state for business — but his mansion is off limits
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s willingness to reopen barbershops, bowling alleys and spas amid a nationwide pandemic was at the center of ear-piercing protests outside his mansion over the weekend — a mansion that remains closed to the public due to concerns over the coronavirus.
An announcement posted to the “Tour the Mansion” page of Kemp’s official government website states that, “PUBLIC TOURS CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily canceling public tours until further notice to ensure the health and safety of Georgia families.”
The state’s number of coronavirus-related deaths surpassed 900 on April 24 with more than 23,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, that didn’t stifle the governor’s plans to lift Georgia’s lockdown by allowing certain non-essential businesses to reopen, including gyms, nail salons, massage parlors and others, McClatchy News reported.
Eateries across the state are allowed to resume dine-in service starting Monday, making the Peach State one of the first in the nation to reopen restaurants, according to Atlanta station WSB-TV.
Kemp, who’s faced tough criticism, cited a drop in COVID-19 cases in his decision to reopen Georgia, pointing to state health department data showing “reports of emergency room visits for flu-like illnesses are declining, documented COVID-19 cases have flattened and appear to be declining ... in general.”
However, critics were quick to call out the glaring contradiction in his willingness to put thousands of residents at risk while protecting his family.
“If the State is ‘ready to re-open’ why is the Governor’s Mansion still closed for public tours?” one Twitter user asked, adding: “Seems hypocritical. Is it safe or not? Lead by example please.”
“Hey @briankempGA, how come the governor’s mansion is closed for tours indefinitely? I thought it was safe for the state to reopen and COVID-19 wasn’t a threat to Georgians anymore? Or does that apply to everyone but you?” another opined.
Another user asked facetiously: “So when’s that governor’s office opening up for tours? I think it’s essential to visit so I can really get a feel for where the decisions to (expletive) us are coming from.”
In a statement, Kemp’s office cited the safety of residents and staff for the decision to halt tours at the Governor’s Mansion.
“To ensure the health and well-being of staff and residents at the Governor’s Mansion, public tours are temporarily suspended,” a spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement.
Kemp further addressed the issue at a Monday news conference, explaining that many of the volunteer docents who give the tours are elderly and thus, more vulnerable to falling ill from coronavirus.
The governor has not only faced criticism from the public, but also from President Donald Trump, who said he disagreed “strongly” with the governor’s decision to reopen businesses and denied advising him to do so, McClatchy News reported.
As of April 27, there are nearly 23,500 COVID-19 cases across Georgia with over 4,000 people hospitalized and 916 deaths due to the disease, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Georgia governor reopens state for business — but his mansion is off limits."