Georgia governor enables businesses to reject COVID-19 mandates as hospitals overflow

[left-of-center2012]

Georgia businesses won't have to comply with local COVID-19 measures like mask or vaccine mandates under a new executive order, as the state's hospitals continue to be stretched to their limit.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order Thursday that will keep businesses from being forced to follow COVID-19 ordinances put in place by local jurisdictions. The Republican governor said the order was issued to protect recovering businesses from "another round of shutdowns."

"Local governments will not be able to force businesses to be the city’s mask police, the vaccine police or any other burdensome restriction ..." Kemp said during a press briefing announcing the order.

On Thursday, doctors from some of the state's largest hospital systems pleaded with people to get vaccinated as they're being inundated with COVID-19 patients.
Over 92% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, Dr. Danny Branstetter of Wellstar Health System said.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-governor-enables-businesses-reject-covid-19-mandates/story?id=79549371

[JohnSJ]

1. Easy answer, don't patronize those businesses

[GPV]

2. Yep

[crickets]

3. GA Mayors like Keisha Lance Bottoms have been trying hard to do the right thing,

but goodness knows Kemp can't have that. Masks are not going to cause undue hardships or business shutdowns, no matter how determined Kemp is to conflate these issues. He's willing to credit tfg with vaccines but unwilling to actually encourage vaccinations. Tch, and up to now, Kemp's complete lack of leadership re Covid had been flying under the radar compared to DeSantis and Abbott.

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-mayor-keisha-lance-bottoms-indoor-mask-mandate/85-2ef25acd-e0db-4c06-9413-009822630616 - JUL 28

ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order Wednesday requiring masks to be worn in all public places while indoors.

According to a release from the mayor's office, the mandate requires a face mask or cloth covering over a person's nose and mouth while indoors at a public place, including private businesses and establishments in the City of Atlanta. [snip]

“Public health experts overwhelmingly agree, and data has proved, that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this deadly virus,” Mayor Bottoms said. “As COVID-19 rates increase, we must remain vigilant, wear a mask, follow CDC guidelines and other measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities.” [snip]

Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp also announced earlier Wednesday that Georgia will not lockdown and he will not be issuing a statewide mask mandate.

https://www.newsweek.com/atlanta-mayor-bottoms-blasts-gov-kemps-ban-mask-vaccine-mandates-businesses-1621744 - AUG 21

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms criticized Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp for prohibiting mask and COVID-19 vaccine mandates statewide for buisnesses, WSB-TV reported on Friday.

Bottoms, a Democrat, said that the order is nothing but politics.

"We're entering political season, and we'll see political theatrics," she said. "But when it comes to this pandemic, that's not sound decision-making. I can't begin to make sense of it. I can't make sense of it last year and I can't make sense of it this year."

On Thursday, Kemp signed an executive order banning vaccine and mask mandates for businesses amid a highly transmissible Delta variant.