Governor Brian Kemp hung out the state’s open sign Wednesday, releasing a videotaped message saying, “Georgia is open for business.”
Kemp’s latest Executive Order takes effect Thursday, April 8, and runs through April 30. It rolls back the remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Georgia’s economy.
“We are taking steps every day to return to normal. We’ve come a long way but we have not yet finished the race,” the governor said. “Many small business owners in our state are still struggling under the impact COVID-19 has had on our economy. And we know hard-working Georgians can not endure another year like the last. That is why, beginning tomorrow, we are loosening the remaining restrictions on our economy here in Georgia.”
Executive Order 03.31.21.03 eliminates the ban on gatherings and lifts all shelter-in-place requirements. It also lifts all remaining distance requirements for restaurants, bars, movie theaters, group fitness classes, and other places of business. The Order strips law enforcement of the authority to enforce it.
“We will no longer allow businesses to be closed down for failure to comply with our executive orders. And we will consolidate the remaining recommended guidance into one easy-to-use list,” said Kemp.
The governor said Georgia’s COVID-19 numbers are “trending in the right direction.” Still, he urged Georgians to “roll up their sleeve and get their shot so that we can continue making steady progress to return to our way of life in the Peach State.”
Kemp concluded his remarks by saying, “Georgians know the right thing to do. Moving forward, we will put our fight with COVID-19 in the rearview mirror. From now on our message is clear — Georgia is open for business.”
