Gov. Brian Kemp has extended the Public Health State of Emergency through October 10. The governor on Monday signed two executive orders, one extending the state of emergency to provide for continued coordination among the public and private sectors in combating COVID-19 and the other outlining public safety measures to guard against the virus.
The current state of emergency expires on September 10.
Kemp left intact the shelter-in-place requirements for residents of long-term care facilities and those deemed medically fragile. He also kept in place a ban on gatherings of more than fifty people unless they have six feet between them. And the governor’s guidance also retains measures schools must take, including screening and evaluating workers and students who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19. It also lays out exceptions on crowd size for schools and school districts.
These and other public health safety measures are in effect through September 15.
While Georgia’s public health state of emergency will continue at least well into October, there are encouraging signs that the state is making headway in its fight against the coronavirus. Currently, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Georgia are at their lowest since July 6. Cases reported Sunday, August 30, were at their lowest point since June 22. The statewide positivity rate has declined in the past month, and there is ample testing capacity in every region, according to the governor’s office.
As of last Friday, August 28, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency had distributed 25.9 million masks, 10.6 million cloth face coverings, 5.2 million surgical gowns, 42 million gloves, and 1.6 million face shields and goggles to local hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities.
