This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
Georgia Governor's Reopening Plan Sparks Concerns Amid COVID-19 Pandemic ¶
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's decision to restart the state's economy has drawn criticism from mayors, public health experts, and some business owners, who fear it may amplify another wave of coronavirus outbreaks.
According to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the plan could set the state back and is 'certainly not going to be helpful.'
On April 24, gyms, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors will reopen, while restaurants can resume dine-in service on April 27, and movie theaters and other entertainment venues will reopen on the same day. Houses of worship will also be allowed to operate without limitations.
However, the mayors of Atlanta and other large cities in the state have expressed outrage over not having the authority to adjust the governor's order to the needs of their residents. They have vowed to urge Georgians to ignore the governor's directive.
As of April 21, Georgia had recorded about 19,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with nearly 800 deaths. The state has also processed some 1.1 million unemployment claims since March 14, a troubling indication of its collateral economic damage.
While some business owners, like Tatiana Kalistratova, who runs a one-person salon in Atlanta, are eager to reopen, others, like Jeffrey Todd, a hair stylist, are concerned about the risks posed by the pandemic.
Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has warned that a second wave of the coronavirus is likely to come this winter, when it will coincide with the flu. He has urged federal and state officials to prepare and to continue stressing social distancing measures as stay-at-home orders are lifted.
According to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 58 percent of American voters said they were more concerned that relaxing stay-at-home restrictions would lead to more deaths than they were that keeping the restrictions would hurt the economy.
