Gov. Kemp stands firm on no mask mandate; COVID-19 hospitalizations up by 39 percent

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Gov. Kemp and state officials held a news conference Friday morning at the State Capitol to give an update on the coronavirus pandemic in Georgia.

The main focuses were the rising number of hospitalizations, back to school plans and the governor doubling down on his criticism of local governments passing mask mandates.

“While we all agree that wearing a mask is effective, I’m confident that Georgians don’t need a mandate to do the right thing,” Kemp said, calling the local mandates confusing and unenforceable.

Kemp said instead of mandates, he wants Georgians to follow four simple but effective actions for four weeks.

“One: Wear a mask when out in public or when you cannot distance yourself inside. Two: Practice physical distancing. Stay six feet from those you don’t live with. Three: Continue to wash your hands throughout the day with warm soap and hot water. And four: Follow the executive order and heed the guidance provided by public health officials. If we do these four simple but effective actions on a daily basis, we will make incredible progress in the fight against COVID-19,” Kemp said.

The governor also defended the lawsuit filed by the state challenging Atlanta mayor’s decision on July 10 to revert to “phase one” guidelines that push restaurants to close dining rooms and urge residents to leave home only for essential trips.

Kemp said people “have decided to play politics by exploiting these difficult emotional moments for political gain.”

Meanwhile, Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said hospitalizations are up by 39 percent. Toomey also said the state’s positivity rate is up to 13.6%, which she said reflects community spread.

There are more than 170 DPH testing sites statewide, but Toomey said we need more testing resources because some people are waiting weeks for results.

Toomey said the department is focused on ramping up more testing and providing personal protective equipment to school districts who need them.

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