Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday issued a revised executive order that lifts restrictions on some businesses, keeps others closed and allowed still others to open, including summer day camps.
In a press conference at the state capitol, Kemp said that bars and nightclubs and live music venues, which have been shuttered since he declared a public health emergency in mid-March, will stay closed through May 31.
(You can read his executive order here.)
That’s because there’s still a ban on public gatherings with 10 or more people anywhere in Georgia. Kemp acknowledged that the continued shutdowns for some businesses is posing a greater hardship, and the state is making progress in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
But there’s still a long way to go.
“We believe waiting a little bit longer will enhance help outcomes while helping businesses prepare for safe reopening in the near future,” Kemp said in prepared remarks.
As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health is reporting 34,848 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, with 1,494 deaths, 6,227 hospitalizations and 1,479 intensive-care admissions.
Cobb County has 2,253 confirmed cases, 124 deaths, and 542 hospitalizations.
A statewide shelter-in-place order for medically fragile people and those over the age of 65 also remains in effect through June 12, when the state public health emergency is set to expire.
Restaurants, whose dining rooms have been allowed to reopen over the last two weeks, will be allowed to seat 10 patrons per 300 square feet, and the limit on the size of a dining party has been raised from six to 10.
Child care centers also can accommodate more youths as the summer months approach. Kemp’s order raises the limit on the number of children in a child care classroom from 10 to 20.
And while summer day camps will be allowed to operate, no overnight summer camps will be permitted.
Those summer day camps will have to meet a list of 32 requirements before they can open (those begin on page 23 of the executive order).
Kemp said that the state on Tuesday got from the federal government its first shipment of remdevisir, a potential COVID-19 drug that’s been used in some clinical trials.
He said Georgia DPH is developing a protocol on how to distribute the total of 30 cases of remdevisir (with 40 vials per case). Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the director of Georgia DPH, said she’s putting together a team, and that the top priority will be hospitals that have been hardest hit by the virus.
Georgia has ramped up testing for the virus, with 262,179 tested thus far. Kemp said that’s 2.74 percent of Georgia’s population. Testing is now available to all Georgians, who should contact their local public health department to make an appointment.
In Cobb County, citizens can get tested through Cobb and Douglas Public Health or go to Kennesaw State University, where the Georgia National Guard is contucting tests.
“We still have to continue to move the needle on tests,” he said in response to a question from a reporter.
One of the testing focuses is on residents of nursing, senior and long-term care homes, where 49 percent of Georgia’s COVID-19 deaths have taken place.
The Georgia National Guard has conducted testing in those facilities, with 46 percent of residents there having been tested, and 24 percent of staff.
Georgia DPH has hired 250 out of an anticipated 1,000 people to conduct contact tracing of those exposed to the virus, another key measure to stop the spread of the virus.
Toomey said contact tracing is taking place for every new case, something that has been happening.
What is new, she said, is tracking with an app prepared by Augusta Health that individuals can update themselves, and enables anyone to get a virtual screening for free at any time.
She also urged Georgians to continue to practice social distancing and to wear masks in public when they cannot keep six feet apart from others.
“This isn’t over,” Toomey said. “We’ve got to continue to follow the guidelines.”
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