Message from Mayor Girtz - May 4, 2020

A new message from Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz with some updates on local responses from ACCGov, details on the virtual Community Conversation on Wed., May 6 with Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, information about applying to be part of the new Joint Development Authority with Winterville, and encouragement to continue to wear cloth masks when out in public and practicing other safe behaviors.

The video is available through the link on the image above and

on YouTube (www.youtube.com/accgov or directly at https://youtu.be/Ses453x_hgw)
the YouTube app on mobile devices or TV systems by searching for 'accgov';
on Facebook (www.facebook.com/accgov);
on Twitter (www.twitter.com/accgov)
on Instagram via IGTV (www.instagram.com/accgov)
on ACTV cable channel 180.

Judicial Emergency Extended Until June 12

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced today that he will extend for another month the Statewide Judicial Emergency, which is due to expire May 13. Under an order the Chief Justice plans to sign later this week, the emergency initially declared on March 14 will be extended for a second time until Friday, June 12, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. It was originally due to expire April 13 before the Chief Justice extended it the first time until May.

Under the new extension order, all criminal and civil jury trials will continue to be suspended, and courts will be barred from summoning and impaneling new trial and grand juries. These suspensions are necessary due to the social distancing and other safety measures recommended by the CDC, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and local county health departments to protect the health of the large groups of people who are generally assembled for jury proceedings.

“The courts are different from most private establishments and public places in that we compel people to attend court proceedings, and that requires us to be extra cautious,” Chief Justice Melton said.

Under the new extension order, courts will be urged to develop plans for building back non-critical operations that can be conducted remotely by videoconferencing or by maintaining adherence to public health guidelines. The order will urge courts to increase the use of technology to conduct remote judicial proceedings where legally permitted as a preferred alternative to in-person proceedings. All this is necessary to help limit the backlog once the emergency is terminated.

The extension order will make clear that the chief judges of judicial circuits may impose more restrictive judicial emergency orders if required by local conditions. And judges will have clearer authority to move certain cases.

The Chief Justice will create a special task force to assist courts in conducting remote proceedings and to develop plans for the safe resumption of more extensive in-court proceedings, including jury trials and grand jury proceedings. The task force will include judges representing every class of court, who will obtain input from prosecutors and public defenders, civil trial attorneys, court clerks, and sheriffs.

The order also will direct each court to develop guidelines for in-court proceedings to protect the health of all those who enter the courthouse.

ACCGov Continues Closed Workstations with Telecommuting

ACCGov will continue with closed workstations through Fri., May 8 (and until further notice).

Non-emergency staff will not report to work during this time, although many will telecommute during the closure.

Please call offices and departments for further information, as many phone lines will be staffed remotely.

ACCGov will continue to provide essential emergency services such as public safety, emergency response, certain judicial functions, trash collection, and water and sewer services.

Most ACCGov services, programs, and offices will be closed during this time.

161 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 13 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 161 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 13 deaths as of 6:40 p.m. on May 4.

The case tracker has recently been updated to a new format and provides additional county-level information, including the number of cases per 100,000 people (124.06 for Athens-Clarke County).

If you view the data, however, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 13 deaths range in age from 60-98. 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.

Backyard cookout with friends? Not right now.

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 most days with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.