In addition to our normal news coverage, What Now Atlanta is tracking ways Atlanta’s businesses are adapting to the novel coronavirus and the challenges it brings to brick-and-mortars.
Bars and nightclubs, the last remaining nonessential businesses still shuttered by state mandate, throughout Georgia will be able to reopen on Monday, June 1.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday announced he would let the restrictions for those businesses expire May 31, 2020, as planned.
Operators that reopen bars and nightclubs must adhere to 39 state-issued safety guidelines including performing health screenings on employees and limiting capacity.
Restaurants have been using those same guidelines since bringing dining rooms and patios back online starting April 27.
It’s unclear when those guidelines will be eased.
While the state nears complete reopening, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says the City is only on Phase II of her five-phase reopening plan.
Gov. Kemp’s order supersedes the Mayor’s.
Atlanta neighborhoods, like the Old Fourth Ward, are taking a similar position to that of the Mayor’s, asking its businesses to “pledge” to a whopping 64 safety measures when reopening—25 more than what the state is requiring.
So far, more than 30 businesses and counting have taken the pledge.
Other actions by Kemp Thursday included extending Georgia’s public health emergency through July 12 and is continuing to “urge” Georgians to wear masks while in public, although not required.
Public gatherings starting Monday will also be allowed up to groups of 25 whereas previously the cap was 10, so as long as social distancing measures are in place.
[Editor’s note: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving as is its effect on Atlanta, and the City’s businesses and its residents. Click here for What Now Atlanta’s ongoing coverage of the crisis. For guidance and updates on the pandemic, please visit the C.D.C. website.]
17 Responses
Really Kemp? Politics over the health of your constituents. I don’t know how you sleep at night. Even Alabama had the courage to issue a mask mandate.
Not sure how KLB sleeps at night knowing that her inaction and taking the side of violent criminals led to the death of an 8 year old girl and other gun violence throughout the city. She also has Covid and was reckless enough to go to a press conference sans mask and potentially spread it. But Kemp is soooo bad and scary right?
They both scare me! Kemp has his head in the sand on Covid-19 and KLB is allowing mob rule, tossing the police under the bus. Our leaders on BOTH sides are failing us!
I don’t understand why he’s in this stupid pissing match with the city government. Why does it matter to him if certain cities want to be more cautious. He says that he encourages everyone to wear a mask, but the second someone say you have to wear a mask he loses his mind.
Has he won any of the counties where there were mask mandates anyways? He lost Fulton (and all of metro Atlanta), Chatham (Savannah), and Clarke (Athens) counties. What does this do for him politically?
Politics aside, it just isn’t a rational public health approach. Given the local/regional nature of disease contraction and the differences in population density, some areas need more restrictive policies and in other areas it may be ok to be less restrictive. Why would you set up a state policy that doesn’t account for that and that restricts local leaders from taking the steps they feel is necessary to keep their community safe? Obviously, politics is the answer, but it’s sad that our leaders are acting this way.
Politics is never aside
Absurd how much this works against slowing the spread. What does this mean for business like Walmart, Starbucks and others who now require a mask in their stores?
I don’t think this in any way restricts businesses from requiring masks. However, I think it’s the place of government and public health officials to set the standards for preventing the pandemic. Given the absurd political overtones that mask-wearing has taken on, making businesses be the ones who are enforcing public health mandates creates an unfortunate business vs customers dynamic that shouldn’t be necessary.
Buzz off, Kemp. We’re just trying to keep our businesses open and not die.
I guess Kemp is basically trying to murder people just like Trump is. The Trump Pandemic and the Trump Great Depression rage on because Republicans don’t give a damn about containing the virus. I’m sure Kemp could murder people on Peachtree Street right now just like Trump could murder people on 5th Ave and the right wing media around here, WSB and the AJC, could give a damn. That’s how much of a terrorist organization the Republican party has become
WSB and the AJC are right wing media?
Yes, I’m afraid so. They’re both owned by right wing Cox Communications, which wouldn’t give a damn if Trump murdered someone on 5th Ave. Every news story on WSB is right wing propaganda. And of course WSB radio has all those racist right wing hacks like Hannity polluting their airwaves with fake news and lies and racism and sexism.
And the AJC of course fired their only liberal columnist, Jay Bookman, years ago, because they wanted to ensure we would get brainwashed with the fake news and lies and racism and sexism from Trump and FOX Noise
Good, I’m glad.
Well as long as you’re happy Sam…
Kemp is basically committing genocide of Georgians just as Trump is committing genocide of Americans. Kemp and Trump and all the sick Republican terrorists have sunk far lower than Hitler and Bin Laden in that many thousands will die because they’re doing nothing about ending the Trump Pandemic other than making it much worse
Maybe take a night off from your Twitter and MSNBC?