GEORGIA — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has issued a state of emergency for the city, ultimately banning gatherings of more than 50 people through the end of the month, she said Sunday night.
Dallas, Pittsburgh, Washington, New York and California have all implemented similar sanctions, Bottoms said.
The Georgia National Guard has been called in to help with the distribution of food and medicine after Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday signed Georgia’s first public health emergency declaration. The state of emergency includes price control restrictions for Georgia until April 14 as shoppers scramble to find necessities like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.
The anti-price gouging measures prohibit sellers from increasing prices significantly from pre-emergency levels, and allows Georgians to report potential violators.
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The state’s judiciary has enacted an emergency so courts will remain open to handle essential functions, and prioritized domestic abuse restraining orders, juvenile court emergency removals, and cases with an immediate concern for liberty or safety.
As of Sunday morning, one person in Cobb County has died from the respiratory virus, and the number of confirmed and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 rose from 66 on Saturday to 99 cases in 19 counties.
On Saturday, Kemp issued an executive order authorizing Adjutant General Tom Carden, at the request of Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Homer Bryson, to call up as many as 2,000 Georgia National Guard troops to state active duty to address the new coronavirus in Georgia.
“Through extensive emergency preparedness training, the brave men and women in the Georgia National Guard stand ready to serve above and beyond their traditional military duties,” Kemp said. “In states of emergency, they are equipped to take necessary action to protect the health and safety of Georgia families in every region. To assist with COVID-19 mitigation and critical services, including the transfer of Georgians currently at Dobbins Air Reserve Base to their homes, the Georgia National Guard will now be available to communities to ensure the steady supply of medical equipment, food, shelter, or related materials to keep Georgians safe in the weeks ahead.”
The Georgia National Guard on Saturday assisted with the transfer of 31 Georgians, formerly passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship that had multiple coronavirus patients, from Dobbins Air Reserve Base to their homes for isolation and monitoring by Department of Public Health officials.
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Kemp also said Saturday that the state has permission to transfer the Georgians at Dobbins Air Force Base to their homes as soon as possible to self-quarantine. More than 30 residents of the state were on board the Grand Princess cruise ship, and had been quarantined off the coast of California due to the coronavirus.
Kemp urged Georgians to avoid crowds and practice social distancing.
“If a test is negative after experiencing symptoms, that’s not an ‘all clear’,” Kemp tweeted. “You could still be contagious with other viruses, so continue to use best practices to keep people safe and prevent the spread of #COVID19 or any other respiratory illness.”
Several chains, including Publix, announced that hours would be shortened for more cleaning, restocking and the health of employees. Beginning Saturday, Publix Super Markets adjusted company-wide store and pharmacy hours company-wide to close at 8 p.m. nightly until further notice.
Other grocery chains, including Kroger, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Target, BJ’s and Whole Foods, have not announced any changes to hours, though many have announced staff will be doing more cleaning in stores to curb potential coronavirus spread.
Read more: Publix, GA Grocery Store Hours In Flux For Cleaning, Stocking
Price Gouging
After Kemp declared a public health state of emergency, he ordered that “during preparation, response and recovery activities for this public health emergency, price gouging of goods and services necessary to support public health would be detrimental to the social and economic welfare of the citizens of this state. Accordingly, he enacted price gouging controls for the state.”
The state of emergency includes price control restrictions for all 159 Georgia counties until April 14.
“Businesses may not sell, or offer to sell at retail, any goods or services identified by the governor … at a price higher than the price at which the good or services were sold or offered for sale before the declaration of the state of emergency.
Price increases on goods or services are permitted only if they accurately reflect an increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailer’s average markup percentage applied during the ten days immediately prior to the declaration of a state of emergency.
To report suspected price gouging, please complete an online form. We do appreciate as much detailed information as you can provide and copies of any and all relevant documentation, including pictures. Please note there is a limitation on the number as well as size of files you can upload. If you intend to report multiple companies for suspected price gouging activity, please submit one price gouging complaint form per company.”
Statewide Judicial Emergency
Chief Justice Harold D. Melton declared Saturday a statewide judicial emergency effective immediately due to the spread of the coronavirus throughout Georgia “and the potential infection of those who work in or are required to appear in our courts.”
The order says courts “should remain open to address essential functions, and in particular courts should give priority to matters defined as those necessary to protect health, safety, and liberty of individuals.” The order lists what courts should prioritize, including domestic abuse restraining orders, juvenile court delinquency detention hearings and emergency removal matters, mental health commitment hearings, and cases “where an immediate liberty or safety concern is present requiring the attention of the court as soon as the court is available.”
Criminal trials in which a jury already has been empaneled “shall continue to conclusion, unless good cause exists to suspend the trial or declare a mistrial,” the order states.
During the period of the order, which will terminate April 13 unless extended, the order suspends and grants relief from a number of judicial deadlines, such as the “time within which to issue a warrant” and the “time within which to hold a commitment hearing.”
The order states that, “To the extent court proceedings are held, they should be done in a manner to limit the risk of exposure, where possible, such as videoconferencing.”
As of Sunday, there are 99 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Georgia, the Department of Public Health said.
The state’s lone fatality is a 67-year-old man who was hospitalized at WellStar Kennestone after testing positive for COVID-19 on March 7, authorities said. In addition to being infected with coronavirus disease, the victim also had underlying medical conditions, a news release said.
Presumed positive coronavirus cases in Georgia as of Sunday include: Dougherty County, Clayton County, Clarke County, Newton County, Henry County, Polk County, Gordon County, Fulton County, Cherokee County, Floyd County, Polk County, Bartow County, Cobb County, Gwinnett County, DeKalb County, Fayette County, Coweta County, Lee County, Lowndes County and Charlton County.
Fulton County has the most cases in the state with 20, followed by Cobb County with 19, DeKalb with 10, Bartow with nine, and Cherokee with six.
Globally, more than 156,000 people have been infected and more than 5,800 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Sunday morning. Of that total, nearly 3,000 confirmed cases are in the United States. There have been 57 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak.