Most GA Coronavirus Restrictions To End Thursday

GEORGIA — One of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's newest executive orders ends the state's gathering ban, shelter-in-place and distance requirements, and goes into effect on Thursday.

On March 31, Kemp signed three executive orders relating to COVID-19 in Georgia. The first extended the public health state of emergency through April 30. The governor's public health state of emergency, which was issued in March of last year and has been extended month over month since then, was set to expire on Tuesday, April 6.

The second executive order extends the current COVID-19 guidance in Georgia until Wednesday, April 7 with an added provision allowing state agency employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine without using sick leave or annual leave.

The final executive order, which will go into effect on Thursday, April 8, will roll back many of the current COVID-19 restrictions in place, including:

• Eliminates the gatherings ban
• Eliminates shelter-in-place requirements
• Removes the critical infrastructure distinction and collapses all organization suggested measures into one main list, with a few additional industry-specific requirements remaining
• Reduces any remaining distance requirements (i.e. distance between parties at restaurants, bars, and movie theaters, and between patrons of group fitness classes)
• Eliminates the ability of law enforcement to close an organization for failure to comply with the executive order provisions

Last month, Kemp signaled his intention to fully open Georgia amid expanding vaccinations, yet despite a plateau in COVID-19 cases.

"We are open," Kemp said of the state. "We have been open."

As of Saturday, April 3, the Georgia Department of Public Health's vaccine dashboard reported that Georgia has administered more than 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Georgia crossed over the 3 million mark on Friday, March 19, meaning more than 1 million doses of vaccine were administered in 15 days in the Peach State. Georgia has administered 89 percent of total doses shipped to the state.

"We continue to make steady progress in our vaccine administration here in Georgia," Kemp said. "The life-saving COVID-19 vaccine is our key back to normal, and with all Georgians ages 16 and over now eligible to receive the shot we are well on our way as we head into spring and summer. I continue to ask all Georgians to follow best practices, public health guidance, and most importantly, schedule their vaccine appointment with a local provider or at one of our state-operated sites using MyVaccineGeorgia.com."

Vaccine eligibility in Georgia is now open to everyone ages 16 and over. Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine currently approved for children aged 16 and older.

States like Mississippi and Texas have already completely suspended regulations limiting capacity in public places and eliminating mask mandates - a step Kemp has never taken.

Georgia was one of the first in the nation to reopen restaurants, bars, salons, barbershops, theaters and gyms in April.

The governor's executive orders are available to read online.

Georgia's vaccine dashboard and more information about the COVID-19 vaccine is available on the DPH website. Georgians can schedule an appointment at a state-operated mass vaccination site by visiting MyVaccineGeorgia.com.