Georgians are waiting to learn what restrictions will be placed on them as the governor prepares to issue an expanded statewide shelter in place order.
During a press conference Wednesday, Kemp announced that he and the State Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Kathleen Toomey are in the process of finalizing the order. Kemp said details will be made public on Thursday. The order will go into effect Friday and run through April 13.
“This action will ensure uniformity among jurisdictions for Georgians sheltering in place and help families and businesses comply with its provisions,” Kemp said. The governor also closed public schools for the remainder of this school year.
On March 23, Kemp issued a shelter in place order for a limited group of people including those who are medically fragile and in nursing homes.
Lack of uniformity
Many local officials and Georgia residents have voiced their frustration in recent days over noncompliance with county and city stay at home orders. The lack of uniformity complicated things as people moved among communities to work, shop, and even vacation. Local officials, especially those in tourist areas, hope that a strong directive from the state will clear up the confusion and force those who have willfully defied orders to fall in line.
“All of us know that this fight is won at the community level, not at the state capitol,” Kemp said during his press conference Wednesday.
Prior to the governor’s announcement, Habersham County Commissioner Tim Stamey was in the process of drafting a proposal to close short term rentals and other attractions in Habersham County.
Like many others, Stamey has been stymied by the fact that the governor has kept state parks open for so long. He wanted to put an end to tourism in Habersham back when the county declared a local public health state of emergency on March 28.
“The last two weekends the northern end of our county experienced a huge influx of tourists from areas (in state and out of state) that have high numbers of COVID-19 cases and that are under ‘shelter in place’ directives,” Stamey tells Now Habersham.
He points out that Unicoi State Park is only 8 miles west and Moccasin State Campground is only 4 miles north of the Batesville community. “A ride through these campgrounds reveal campers from metro Atlanta and neighboring states that have closed their respective state campgrounds.”
Rabun County Commission Chairman Greg James sent a letter to Gov. Kemp Monday asking him to close down all of the state parks located in Rabun County. James said the recent influx of tourists “has had a staggering detrimental effect on our resources.” The Helen City Commission on Tuesday shut down hotels and motels, short term rentals, and tourist attractions in the town in an effort to dissuade tourists. Those who were already booked into lodging had to leave by noon today.
Balancing act
It’s been a political balancing act of the grandest scale as Kemp has sought to find equilibrium among the seemingly competing interests of protecting the public’s health, keeping the economy going, and not usurping local control.
District 10 State Rep. Terry Rogers says he thinks Gov. Kemp has “taken a very balanced approach” in his response to closures around the state. “Everybody yells and screams about local control until it comes time to make a decision.”
Based on Kemp’s comments Wednesday, the balance now seems to have tipped fully on the side of public health as Georgians begin to accept the deadly reality of this crisis.
Just hours after the governor spoke, several hundred people, social distancing in their vehicles, showed up outside Habersham County Medical Center to pray over the county’s hospital and healthcare workers. Some criticized the event as being socially irresponsible, others leaned into as a way to express hope and community in a time when both are being sorely tested.
Habersham County Commission Chair Stacy Hall tapped into that spirit in a press release unrelated to the event when he said, “Habersham is a resilient community rooted in faith and love for each other. While we face uncertainty, we can rest assured that together, we will get through this difficult time.”
