Georgia’s statewide shelter-in-place order went into effect at 6 p.m. There are important exceptions for things like grocery shopping, going to the doctor, and outdoor exercise if you keep your distance.
But there’s been some confusion about those details. Tori saw them firsthand. She works at a grocery store in East Cobb and asked that we not use her last name.
She said yesterday when she was working, and Gov. Brian Brian Kemp announced the impending shelter-in-place order, people reacted quickly.
“And all of a sudden there’s just so many people, my line is so big,” she said. “And everyone’s buying literally $400 worth of groceries. Every single person.”
Her store still hadn’t started regulating social distancing, she said, so things got crowded.
Tori said customers are in self-preservation mode and more rude than normal. And it’s been hard to talk to them.
“Nowadays all people want to talk about is this virus. And I know the more people talk about it, the more uneasy they become. And then it leads other people in line to start talking about whatever rumors they have, or whatever false news that they’ve researched about the virus,” she said.
“So I just don’t even engage with people anymore. I have to just kind of nod my head. And if people say, ‘Thanks for being here!’ I say, ‘It’s my job.’”
Instead of thanking her, she said, she wishes people would just show it: keep their distance and be nice.
The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed 5,967 cases of the coronavirus in Georgia and 198 deaths, as of 7 p.m. Friday.
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Braves Holding A ‘Virtual Home Opener’
Friday would have been the Atlanta Braves home opener at the newly-named Truist Park.
But the contest against the Miami Marlins — like all other sporting events in this country — has been postponed because of the coronavirus.
The Braves hope their fans will STILL tune in tonight for a “virtual home opener.”
The team is compiling a 90-minute online pre-game show, including video messages and interviews with the Braves GM Alex Anthopolous, manager Brian Snitker and players like Freddie Freeman.
That will be followed by a rebroadcast on Fox Sports South of last year’s home opener against the Chicago Cubs.
As for Braves gameday employees who will be missing out on a paycheck because of the COVID 19 pandemic, the team has set up a $1 million relief fund to help employees with some of their major expenses.
Major League Baseball hasn’t set a date for when the 2020 season might begin.
Shelter In Places Causes Some Confusion Around Local Orders
Gov. Brian Kemp’s stay-at-home order, signed Thursday, supersedes local orders, including all local closures of parks, Kemp spokesman Cody Hall said. Some local governments, seeing gatherings in parks not obeying distancing requirements, had ordered their parks closed.
Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt said the county doesn’t plan to reopen its parks.
“We read the order and did not see any mandate to reopen parks,” Cavitt wrote in an email. “Ours will remain closed because their closure came through county manager’s authority and not through our declaration of emergency.”
Athens-Clarke Commissioner Russell Edwards, who has been an outspoken critic of Kemp’s handling of the crisis, said that the county’s lawyer is still examining the order, but he’s worried that Kemp may override stricter local rules.
“I have concerns that the state may end up weakening local protections that have been put in place,” Edwards told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday. “I’m skeptical because the governor for weeks and weeks resisted calls to issue a shelter-at-home order. Now’s not the time to weaken measures.”
Edwards said the county has no plans to reopen parks and is awaiting more guidance from the governor.
Under New Order, Some Beaches Reopen With Restrictions
Because the governor’s shelter-in-place order supersedes all local ordinances, some of Georgia’s beaches will actually reopen after the statewide order goes into effect tonight at 6 p.m.
Glynn County and Tybee Island were among the localities that had closed beaches completely. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has put in place a new restriction, also going into effect at 6 p.m. tonight until April 13, to ensure beaches are only used for outdoor exercise, as allowed in the executive order.
No one can use umbrellas, chairs or tents on the beach, and people must keep their distance and not congregate in groups of more than 10. The state will heighten patrols and monitor beaches for compliance with the restrictions.
Spring Break Starts For Some Schools
Most metro Atlanta public school students will get a respite from their computers next week. It’s spring break for most school districts.
Even though classes will stop, families will still be able to pick up food for the week.
Some districts–like Cobb and Clayton Counties–will continue with regular meal distribution next week. Others won’t have meal service, but will still provide food. For instance, the Fulton County schools will let families pick up groceries Friday] and next Thursday at certain sites. Atlanta Public Schools will also have groceries for families Saturday at regular meal sites.
In Gwinnett, the county’s Cooperative Food Ministries will take over meal distribution next week instead of schools. DeKalb families can pick up meals for next week Friday at the District’s regular distribution sites.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Engagement at WABE is powered, in part, by our collaboration with America Amplified, a Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded initiative to use community engagement in our reporting.
