As Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the state’s shelter-in-place lockdown for most of its 10.6 million residents, Georgia has seen over 1,000 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases as of Friday (May 1).
While there’d been about 26,000 cases reported on Thursday, Friday’s total rose to a confirmed 27,134 cases, with the majority in the metro Atlanta area. At least 1,147 of the state’s residents have passed due to the novel virus, and since the quarantine lifted, at least 33 new deaths were totaled.
Despite the rising number of cases, Kemp forwent the White House coronavirus task force’s advisory (allowing states to reopen 14 days after declining positive cases), and allowed businesses to resume operations, including massage-therapy centers, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, gyms, etc.
Addressing the state, Kemp mandated that businesses take proper safety precautions, including, “screening workers for fever and respiratory illness, enhancing workplace sanitation, wearing masks & gloves if appropriate, separating workspaces by six feet, teleworking if possible & implementing staggered shifts.”
