Gov. Brian Kemp has indicated he’ll extend coronavirus restrictions on businesses and restaurants that are set to soon expire, and he could also outline new guidelines that allow bars, nightclubs and live performance venues to reopen.
The governor is expected to detail his coronavirus strategy at a Thursday press conference at the state Capitol, where he’s expected to address a sweep of safety guidelines that are scheduled to lapse on Monday.
Kemp has steadily rolled back restrictions since late April, when he allowed close-contact businesses to reopen and restaurants to resume dine-in services, and he signed an executive order two weeks ago that relaxed limits on eateries and daycare centers.
But he ordered bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues to remain shuttered through the end of the month to give owners more time to prepare for strict safety guidelines that he has yet to announce. Those businesses have been closed since an April 3 statewide order took effect.
At a stop in Macon on Wednesday, the Republican said his aggressive approach in lifting coronavirus limits was “reinvigorating” the state’s stalled economy and downplayed figures that show a recent rise in confirmed cases.
Pressed on whether he would ease more regulations, he said he was confident Georgians would “follow the guidance” and let him do so. He added: “We can’t keep fighting the virus from our living room.”
His remarks come as state figures show an increase in week-to-week cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, though it’s unclear whether it’s a statistical blip or whether it represents a marked change. Kemp described it as a “backlog” from 15,000 tests recently logged by the state that date to late April.
Georgia began easing coronavirus restrictions in late April, drawing bipartisan condemnation and sharp warnings from public health analysts that the state could risk a second wave. Though the rate of coronavirus-related hospitalizations has dropped, experts say it’s too soon to assess Kemp’s strategy.
He, too, has not declared victory over the disease, and has stressed a “methodical” approach to contain the outbreak. But he also expressed confidence Georgia can avoid a second wave of the disease if people use “good common sense,” practice social-distancing and wear a mask.
“If the virus comes back, I don’t see us shutting down our economy anymore,” he told reporters in Columbus. “We’ve got to figure out how to live with the virus. There are some very smart people doing that every day.”
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