Atlanta mayor issues executive order requiring masks in all public places as COVID-19 cases rise

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ATLANTA – Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order requiring masks in all public places indoors. The order comes hours after Gov. Brian Kemp said he was not going to issue any new warrants or mask locks and a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its mask guidelines to fully vaccinated people in public and everyone in K-12 schools.

The mayor’s decree requires that “all persons in a public place, including businesses and private establishments, wear a mask or a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth when they are at home.” interior ”.

“Public health experts overwhelmingly agree, and the data has proven, that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this deadly virus,” Mayor Bottoms said. “As COVID-19 rates rise, we must remain vigilant, wear a mask, follow CDC guidelines and other measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities. “

Earlier this week, the City of Savannah reinstated its mask mandate and several school districts also said masks would be needed during the next school year.

On Tuesday, the CDC recommended that vaccinated people wear masks again indoors in parts of the United States where the coronavirus is on the rise and that everyone in K-12 schools wear masks, regardless of status. vaccination. According to official health data, these areas include both Fulton and DeKalb counties.

Earlier today, Governor Kemp said he would take no further state-wide action in response to the growing number of cases, pointing out that most of the new cases and hospitalizations are among those who are not yet vaccinated.

“The data is clear. Thanks to efforts under the Trump administration, we have a medical miracle in several vaccines that protect against the virus and save lives. Almost all new COVID hospitalizations in Georgia are among the unvaccinated,” wrote Kemp.

The state has seen a steady increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since the July 4 vacation. As of 3 p.m. as of Wednesday, nearly 1,700 patients were in hospital and the two-week average for new cases had risen to 1,259, a number unheard of since early March, according to the Department of Public Health. Georgia.

Health officials are urgently calling on anyone who has not received any of the vaccines to speak to their health care provider and strongly consider getting one.