Kemp’s executive order allows small business bypass of Covid restrictions

Move comes as growing caseload of coronavirus cases clog Georgia hospitals

August 19, 2021

Vince Lennon,

Wgcl Gov. Brain Kemp — **Embargo: Atlanta, GA** Gov. Brain Kemp announced an executive order mandating a "shelter-in-place" order for those in long-term care facilities, those who have chronic lung disease, those who are undergoing cancer treatment, and those who are COVID-19 positive or suspected to have the viru

ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order Thursday that will give businesses the choice of following local government COVID-19 guidelines.

Kemp said it will give the private sector security to know they will not be shut down by local government guidelines.

Governor Kemp said their economy is starting to return to normal and small businesses from Savannah to Atlanta would not be able to survive another round of shut-downs.

Kemp said he knows Georgians know the risk of COVID-19 and know how to go about their lives, and that’s why he signed the executive order to ensure that businesses will not be forced by local governments to be the city’s mask police, vaccine police or any other burdensome restrictions.

The governor said if businesses chose to follow the COVID-19 restrictions at the local level, they are free to do so.

More than 47 hundred COVID-19 patients were hospitalized statewide Wednesday and almost 90-percent of intensive care beds were in use.

Hospitals have had to put off elective surgeries and turn patients away amid a crush of COVID-19 cases not seen since a winter surge.

Only 42-percent of Georgia’s population is fully vaccinated.