Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday suspended all local government mask mandates despite the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in his state.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday suspended all local government mask mandates despite the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in his state.
Under the executive order the Republican governor extended the state’s public emergency and said face coverings are „strongly encouraged,“ but not required.
Kemp’s executive order voids masks mandates imposed by some local governments as Covid-19 cases tick up in cities across the state, already claiming over 3,000 lives.
Even as Kemp has been resistant to a statewide mask mandate for Georgia, other Republican governors are now requiring face coverings in their states.
Kemp’s previous executive orders prohibited local action from being more restrictive than the state’s requirements — but Wednesday’s order specially mentioned facial covering and mask mandates.
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The mayor of Savannah, who signed a mask mandate for the city, fired back at Kemp’s decision.
„It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us,“ Mayor Van Johnson wrote on Twitter Wednesday. „Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.“
Savannah residents, beginning July 1, were required to wear a face covering in public or face a fine of up to $500.
In a CNN interview earlier this month, Johnson said because the city was hitting new daily records for coronavirus cases, „it was really necessary for us to take more drastic action to protect our city.
