Gov. Kemp extends Georgia’s shelter-in-place order to April 30 amid coronavirus crisis

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a news conference at Liberty Plaza across the street from the Georgia state Capitol building in downtown Atlanta, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Kemp says he will issue a statewide shelter-in-place order to prevent spread of the coronavirus and shut down public schools for the rest of the year. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a news conference at Liberty Plaza across the street from the Georgia state Capitol building in downtown Atlanta, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Kemp says he will issue a statewide shelter-in-place order to prevent spread of the coronavirus and shut down public schools for the rest of the year. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

By Patrick Filbin April 8, 2020 2 min read

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended the state’s shelter-in-place order to April 30 the same day confirmed cases of the coronavirus increased by more than 1,000.

At a press conference Wednesday, Kemp also imposed new restrictions on senior care facilities and renewed a statewide public health emergency declaration that gives him broad authority to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

On Wednesday, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia jumped by more than 1,000 in one day – from 8,818 to 9,901.

Georgia has 9,901 cases and at least 362 people have died from COVID-19 as of Wednesday at 3 p.m. About 1,993 people are currently hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Most of Georgia’s cases are in Atlanta and North Georgia and the Southwest Georgia community of Albany.

Kathleen Toomey, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Health acknowledged the steady increase in a press release Tuesday.