Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ordered local governments on Wednesday to roll back their mask mandates, even as the number of coronavirus infections jumps in his state.
The Republican argued that a mask mandate for city residents is a “bridge too far” in policing public health measures. He said they should be recommended, not required.
Kemp’s executive order, revising guidelines put in place at the start of the pandemic, also requires vulnerable people to shelter in place, restricts large gatherings of more than 50 people, and asks restaurants and other businesses to take numerous precautions, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia was one of the first states to begin reopening its economy early on in the pandemic, with Kemp often at odds with local officials in the state who disagreed with his timeline. The state is now seeing spikes in infections, reporting its second-highest daily count on Wednesday with more than 3,800 new cases and 37 deaths.
Overall, Georgia has had more than 125,000 cases and more than 3,000 COVID-19 related deaths, according to the state’s health department.
Earlier this month, over 1,400 healthcare workers wrote a letter to Kemp saying Georgia was not prepared for the new surge in cases, and that the increased number of cases couldn’t be accounted for with a rise in testing.
The letter called for several policy introductions, including instituting a statewide mask mandate, closing down bars and nightclubs, and prohibiting gatherings of more than 25 people, including at houses of worship.
“To close down when they need to close down, to mandate masks even if the governor’s not willing to mandate masks. It could make a huge difference,” Dr. Melanie Thompson, who helped write the letter, told WXIA-TV of Atlanta.
