Updated Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday extended the state’s “shelter-in-place” order through April 30.
This limits travel to essential purposes only such as trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor’s office or essential workplaces. The order had been set to expire Monday.
“All of the provisions of the statewide shelter-in-place order will remain in effect,” said Kemp. “I want to thank everyone who has followed these directives. I certainly applaud your patience.”
Kemp also extended Georgia’s state of public health emergency through May 13.
At a news conference Wednesday inside the state Capitol, Kemp defended his decision to not close down state beaches and campgrounds. Kemp says Georgians should still have the opportunity to get outside.
“Which I can certainly understand people wanting to do – getting their kids out of the house for some fresh air. You know, they’re staying in their campsite,” said Kemp. “We’re monitoring that, if they get to where they’re gathering, we’re going to shut them down and make them leave the park.”
Kemp also announced a temporary ban on short-term rentals. This does not include hotels, motels and campgrounds or reservations that have been previously booked.
The governor also announced that he was activating another 1,000 members of the National Guard to help with the state’s response to the coronavirus.
Number Of Coronavirus Cases Continues To Rise
Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to extend Georgia’s state of emergency for another month came as coronavirus deaths and infections continue to climb across the state.
The number of infections from the new virus approached 10,000 in Georgia, with the number of confirmed deaths rising to 362, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Department of Public Health.
Kemp intends to renew the public health emergency through May 13. It had been set to expire next Monday.
“This measure will allow us to continue to deploy resources to communities in need, lend support to frontline medical providers, and keep preparing as we brace for potential patient surge in our healthcare facilities,” Kemp said in a news release.
State lawmakers last month granted Kemp temporary emergency powers and allowed the governor to renew them without reconvening the full legislature for a vote. Lawmakers had planned for an April 15 special session to consider any extension by Kemp, but House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said that wouldn’t happen now. They both issued statements supporting the extension.
Several legislators have tested positive for the virus since they last met.
Wednesday’s higher case count was the result of 5,000 more tests, as the state continues to try to ramp up testing capacity.
The highest per-capita concentration of cases continued to be in southwest Georgia. Randolph County, with 82 confirmed cases, reports an infection rate more than 12 times the state average according to Associated Press calculations. Dougherty County, which includes Albany, now has the state’s second-highest infection rate, with nearly 1,000 cases in a county with less than 100,000 residents.
Fulton County, the state’s most populous county, continues to report the largest number of cases with more than 1,200 overall.
Using his emergency powers, Kemp has closed public schools through the end of the academic year and ordered Georgia residents to shelter at home except under prescribed circumstances such as working essential jobs and grocery shopping. He has prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people and closed businesses including bars and nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and hair salons. Restaurants can only serve meals for takeout or delivery.
Kemp’s latest emergency order also rolled back any emergency restrictions imposed by cities or counties that went beyond the limitations ordered by the governor. Some mayors and county commissioners have vocally criticized Kemp for that step, which reversed the closure of beaches on the coast as well as temporary halts to vacation rentals.
“We hear their concerns, and we are considering new options to help those communities,” Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce said in an email Tuesday.
Georgia To Receive More Federal Funds
Georgia is set to receive the next phase federal money for local and state health departments to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
The $9.2 million is much needed in a state set to hit peak cases and deaths in two weeks’ time.
The money is important and is just another wave of federal funds. The first one came in at $15 million. And all that is part of the more than $8 billion federal lawmakers are giving to states in an emergency bill passed last month.
More money is expected for the state as the next phases of federal money roll out. And Georgia will need it.
One model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation shows Georgia will be short of intensive Care Unit beds when we hit our peak around April 20. The state could also need more than 1,000 ventilators, and all those gloves, masks and other gear for medical professionals on the front lines.
County Officials Asking Kemp To Close State Parks
County officials in North Georgia are asking Gov. Brian Kemp to close state parks. They say their small communities can’t handle the visitors right now.
Commissioners from 12 counties wrote a letter to the governor — asking him to close all the state parks in their area. They say there seems to be an influx of visitors from metro Atlanta and from out of state, as awareness of the pandemic has grown and people are looking to get outside in less crowded, rural areas.
The commissioners say their part of the state doesn’t have the healthcare resources to care for the extra people or the food, supplies, and fuel that they need.
The Governor’s executive order to shelter in place didn’t close parks or beaches. It actually reopened some beaches that had been closed — to the chagrin of some coastal officials.
Rent Relief Coming For Atlanta Public Housing Residents
Atlanta’s public housing residents will be getting some rent relief if they’ve lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made the announcement Tuesday.
She says the funding will provide much-needed assistance to those residents who desperately need it during the coronavirus crisis.
“Also residents suffering a loss of income due to COVID-19 can certify their current income and upon approval can receive rent reduction of up to 100% of the contract rent for up to two months, covering the month of April and May,” she said.
Bottoms said additional extensions may be granted if Georgia’s shelter-in-place order is extended into June.
