The city of Dalton, Whitfield County and the other communities in the county have expanded the COVID-19 response and will enforce more strict measures to help stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Starting at 11 p.m. Wednesday, any person showing any symptoms of the coronavirus will not be allowed in public places. People in public spaces will also need to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other people and people who are considered by the CDC to be "at risk" are required to shelter in place and refrain from being in public places.
The new order also says people can't be in groups of ten or more. That includes funerals, religious worship meetings, flea markets, yard sales, theaters, fitness centers and many other social functions.
Retail establishments - other than grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies - has to limit the number of customers to one person per 1,000 feet of floor space. Stores that have less than 5,000 square feet of space will be allowed to have a maximum of five people in the store at one time. All businesses, including grocery stores, must be diligent about keeping customers six feet apart from each other.
Dine-in services at restaurants is also now prohibited. Restaurants, bars and other establishments can offer drive-thru, carry out and curbside pick-up service. Cafeterias in licensed medical centers or nursing homes are exempted.
Restaurants and bars with pouring beer and wine licenses are now free to sell unopened, sealed containers of beer or wine for takeout. All open container laws or ordinances still have to be followed in the county and city.
Businesses like barbershops, hair salons, tattoo parlors and day spas and others that require close personal contact are required to close.
As of Wednesday at noon, Whitfield County has 10 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Georgia has 4,638 in the state and 139 deaths.
The Dalton City Council, Whitfield County Commission, the town of Cohutta and cities Tunnel Hill and Varnell all agreed to the resolution.
Any person or business that violates any of the orders in the resolution could be issued a $1,000 fine or serve up to 60 days in jail, according to the resolution.
This resolution is scheduled to end April 30 at midnight unless amended, extended.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.