Message from Mayor Kelly Girtz - April 2, 2020

Watch a new message from Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz with some updates on local responses from ACCGov, the opening of the Greenway and Firefly Trail to the public with appropriate physical distancing, highlights of some members of the community contributing to helping others, and brief remarks on the Governor's executive order prior to its release.

Watch the video on YouTube at www.youtube.com/accgov (or directly online).

Governor's Executive Order for Statewide Shelter-in-Place & Business Restrictions

The Governor issued an executive order late in the afternoon on April 2 relating to statewide mandatory shelter-in-place requirements and business restrictions. The order is effective from April 3, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. until April 13, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Athens-Clarke County staff are continuing to assess the order and how it affects residents and businesses in Athens-Clarke County. In the meantime, here are some resources.

• Governor's order (also listed on accgov.com/coronavirus)
• ACCG (statewide organization for counties) additional guidance and FAQs (PDF) on shelter-in-place order 

55 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 7 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 55 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with seven deaths as of 6:28 p.m. on April 2.

The seven deaths range in age from 60-89. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and congregate living settings for older people must strictly follow COVID-19 prevention measures to stop rapid spread of the virus.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out at least daily with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.