ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s governor said Monday that he was ordering all bars and nightclubs in the state to close because of the coronavirus and giving state officials the authority to shut down businesses that don’t comply as the number of infections confirmed statewide reached 800.
The order will take effect at noon Tuesday and last for just under two weeks, Gov. Brian Kemp said at a news conference. He said the state would also ban gatherings of 10 or more people unless people could maintain a distance of 6 feet (2 meters). Kemp’s announcement did not mention restaurants.
“These measures are intended to ensure the health and safety of Georgians across our state,” he said. “And I would ask for everyone’s cooperation over the next two weeks.”
The measures fall short of orders issued in other states and what some lawmakers and health experts had sought. Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia joined states including California, Illinois and New York in asking or ordering their residents to stay home and keep businesses closed – directives that now cover more than one-third of the U.S. population.
Kemp said he would order people at increased risk from the virus to shelter in place. That population includes people in long-term care facilities, those with chronic lung disease and those undergoing cancer treatment, he said.