ATLANTA (AP) — Gov. Brian Kemp is declaring that “Georgia is open for business” as of Thursday, loosening the restrictions he imposed last year to control the spread of the coronavirus by letting people sit closer together at restaurants and gather in larger crowds.
The Republican governor changed Georgia’s rules despite urgings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President Joe Biden that states should keep curbs on unmasked close contact among strangers. They warn that more infectious virus variants now spreading across the United States could cause another spike in cases and deaths.
Kemp portrays his new executive order as part of an effort to return to “normal,” continuing to emphasize that economic health is as important as freedom from the respiratory illness that has killed more than 19,000 Georgians.
“Many small business owners are still struggling under the impact COVID-19 has had on our economy,” Kemp said in a recorded video message Wednesday. “And we know hard-working Georgians cannot endure another year like the last.”
Federal officials acknowledge that people have “COVID-19 fatigue,” but say it’s too soon to stop being careful.