GA Coronavirus Restrictions Extended As Hospitalizations Drop

GEORGIA — Gov. Brian Kemp extended on Monday the statewide public health state of emergency in Georgia through next month and existing coronavirus safety measures through Sept. 15.

The public health state of emergency, now extended through Oct. 10, allows for enhanced coordination across government and the private sector for supply procurement, comprehensive testing, and healthcare capacity.

By renewing the executive order, it continues to require social distancing, bans gatherings of more than 50 people unless there is 6-feet between each person, outlines mandatory criteria for businesses, and requires sheltering in place for those living in long-term care facilities and the medically fragile, among other provisions. The order runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 15.

While these restrictions are extended, Kemp did say there were encouraging signs in Georgia regarding coronavirus.

Currently, hospitalizations in Georgia due to the coronavirus are at their lowest since July 6, Kemp said. Cases reported Sunday were at its lowest point since June 22. The statewide positivity rate has declined in the past month, and there is ample testing capacity in every region, the governor said.

As of last Friday, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency had distributed to local hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities:

• 25.9 million masks
• 10.6 million cloth face coverings
• 5.2 million surgical gowns
• 42 million gloves
• 1.6 million face shields and goggles

Last month when Kemp extended the restrictions, he also allowed local governments to issue mask mandates on public property, though he stopped short of allowing a similar restriction on private property.

In a statement, Kemp said the order "protects Georgia businesses from government overreach by restricting the application and enforcement of local masking requirements to public property."

"While I support local control, it must be properly balanced with property rights and personal freedoms," he said.

Georgia's Monday afternoon coronavirus report showed about 1,500 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and only 28 deaths tallied over the previous 24 hours. Both numbers are considerably less than peaks from a few weeks ago.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported a total of 270,471 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 2:50 p.m. Monday. According to the health department's website, that includes 1,523 newly confirmed cases over the previous 24 hours.

Georgia also reported 5,632 deaths so far from COVID-19, with 28 more deaths recorded in the previous 24 hours. In addition, the state reported 24,604 hospitalizations — 32 more than the day before — and 4,493 admissions so far to intensive-care units.

Globally, more than 25.5 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 851,000 people have died from it, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday morning.

In the United States, more than 6 million people have been infected and more than 183,000 people have died from COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning. The U.S. has only about 4 percent of the world's population but more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country.

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