The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
» Gov. Kemp was set to extend coronavirus restrictions, renew ban on mask mandates late Friday,
Order will extend state’s coronavirus restrictions for 2 weeks.
Gov. Brian Kemp was set to sign an order Friday to extend Georgia’s coronavirus restrictions an additional two weeks and renew rules that explicitly ban cities and counties from adopting mandates requiring masks or other face coverings, according to a senior administration official.
The executive order, which was set to expire late Friday, also will maintain a series of safety guidelines for restaurants and other businesses that have been in place for months as Georgia struggles with a rising number of coronavirus cases.
The new order runs through Aug. 15, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak about the decision before it’s made public.
The governor has long sought to restrict local governments from taking tougher or more lenient steps than the state. But in midJuly he signed rules for the first time specifying that cities and counties couldn’t mandate masks, and reinstating the provision is a sign that his approach on the issue would continue.
That ban set the stage for a lawsuit he filed a day later challenging Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ adoption of a mask requirement and other restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic. The city is one of more than a dozen to implement the mandates, which Kemp has said are unenforceable.
The new order coincides with ongoing settlement discussions to end the legal feud. Bottoms reached out to Kemp last week to initiate the negotiations but also said she’s prepared to defend her measures in court. The Georgia Municipal Association backed Bottoms’ position in court filings, accusing Kemp of “usurping” local rights.
Kemp was under pressure to impose stiffer restrictions to stem the spread of the disease. Since he signed his last order into effect two weeks ago, Georgia has set records for daily confirmed cases of the disease, the hospitalization rate has soared and federal health officials urged the state to impose new restrictions.
More than 180,000 Georgians have contracted the disease, and state data shows nearly 90% of critical care beds are now in use, with some regions showing just a handful of units available. Earlier on Friday, Kemp announced that a makeshift medical facility will open next week at the Georgia World Congress Center to reduce the stress on the health care network.
But the governor has said new restrictions were unnecessary, and instead, he called on local officials to enforce rules in his order that guide how restaurants operate.
He has strongly opposed a return to the strict statewide coronavirus rules in force through much of April, when personal care businesses such as nail salons and barbershops were shuttered and restaurants were barred from allowing dine-in service.
Kemp became one of the first state leaders to roll back economic restrictions in late April, temporarily drawing the wrath of President Donald Trump, and he has until recently steadily eased limits. In fact, Kemp’s last few statewide orders were notable in part because they held the line on many rules rather than continuing a trend of easing them.
The Republican has faced repeated calls from public health officials and other critics who demand that he take more proactive measures. Some point toward a handful of GOP governors who have either imposed mask mandates or given leeway to local governments to institute their own restrictions.
In Georgia, many local officials are already going their own way. Since Savannah became the first Georgia city to institute a mask requirement in June, several cities and suburbs have followed suit. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review showed the rules are rarely, if ever, enforced.
Meanwhile, a new federal report lists Georgia among 21 states in the “red zone” because of a rising number of coronavirus cases. The report obtained by The New York Times recommends that Georgia officials impose a statewide mask mandate, close bars and nightclubs, and limit indoor dining.
Trump and other White House figures, however, have endorsed Kemp’s approach. The president has called for more states to reopen their economies, and Vice President Mike Pence, who visited the state twice in a week in May, has hailed Georgia as a model.