Kemp: 'Hunker Down' To Stop Coronavirus Thanksgiving Spread

ATLANTA, GA — On the heels of a message from the Centers for Disease Control that urged people to stay home this Thanksgiving to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Brian Kemp has posted a video message that asked residents to celebrate at home within their household or virtually.

“With Thanksgiving next week and Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s and other celebrations around the corner, I know many are looking forward to gathering with their loved ones, but we are still facing down a once in a century pandemic and we have to remain vigilant,” Kemp said.

Georgia on Monday surpassed a total of 400,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 406,220 to date. Of those, 34,083 patients have required hospitalization and 8,644 deaths have been attributed to the virus, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Experts say the coronavirus is airborne and that tiny droplets containing the virus can linger indoors for hours as aerosols, making indoor events such as Thanksgiving dinner especially risky, since guests have to remove their masks to eat and drink.

Kemp urged Georgians to follow these safety measures to stem the spread:

• Wear a mask
• Practice social distancing
• Wash your hands frequently
• Follow the guidance of public health officials

“As the weather turns cold, and people spend more time inside, and we’ve seen Georgia’s case numbers increase, and we continue to ask Georgians to do a few things to limit the spread: wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands and follow the guidance of public health officials in our executive orders. And if you have not done so already, get your flu shot,” Kemp said.

If everyone follows best practices and heeds the advice of health experts, life can return to normal, the governor said.

"Hunker down, stay vigilant, and have a happy and Thanksgiving," Kemp said.

While Kemp has encouraged the use of face masks, he has not required it. The state is under a public health emergency until Dec. 14 that keeps the size of groups limited to 50. In September he added that the state will allow restaurant and bar employees who are known or suspected of having a positive COVID-19 diagnosis to return to work once: 10 days since symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving.

Last week, Patch asked Georgia readers how they plan to spend Thanksgiving — and most said they plan to stay home or celebrate within their own households.

But some readers balked at suggestions to skip a large celebration and said it will be business as usual this year.

Patch's survey, which appeared in questionnaire form on Patch, is not meant to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Kemp also asked Georgians to get their flu shot to avoid a "twin-demic" of winter ailments.

Related:

• Most GA Families To Stay Home For Thanksgiving: Patch Survey
• Thanksgiving Travel 2020: Worst Times To Travel In Georgia