Governor’s June 11 Statewide Executive Order for Statewide Shelter-in-Place & Business Restrictions

A 40-page Executive Order from Governor Kemp issued on June 11 provides updated information about shelter-in-place and business requirements. Read a PDF of the full order. Some notes are detailed below.

• Provisions in the order are effective from June 16-30
• All residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings while outside of their homes or residences except when eating, drinking, or exercising.
• Sheltering in Place: Effective immediately, residents and visitors of Georgia who are age 65 or older are no longer required to shelter in place unless they meet any of the following categories:
  • Persons who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
  • Persons who have chronic lung disease
  • Persons who have moderate to severe asthma
  • Persons who have severe heart disease
  • Persons who are immunocompromised
  • Persons, of any age, with class III or severe obesity
  • Persons diagnosed with the following underlying medical conditions: diabetes, liver disease, and persons with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
• Gatherings: Effective June 16, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned unless there is at least six feet between each person. This rule does not apply to critical infrastructure entities, incidental or transitory groupings, or cohabitating individuals.
• Critical Infrastructure shall implement measures to mitigate exposure and spread of COVID-19, which may include 16 measures in the order, and should implement 3 additional measures if practicable.
• Amusement rides, traveling carnivals, water parks, circuses, and other temporary amusement rides shall not begin operation until June 12, 2020 and implement 33 measures.
• Businesses that are not Critical Infrastructure shall implement 20 measures to help prevent the exposure and spread of COVID-19 and should implement 3 additional measures if practicable.
  • Food establishments 
    • shall also implement additional measures to the 20 measures for businesses above, which may include 11 measures mentioned in the order. 
    • Effective June 16, in restaurants and dining rooms, there is no longer a party maximum for the number of people who can sit together.
    • There is no longer a limit on the number of patrons allowed per square foot.
    • Workers at restaurants, dining rooms, banquet facilities, private event facilities, and private reception venues are only required to wear face coverings when they are interacting with patrons.
    • For salad bars and buffets, a worker can use cafeteria-style service to serve patrons or the establishment can provide hand sanitizer, install a sneeze guard, enforce social distancing, and regularly replace shared utensils to allow patron self-service.
  • Gyms and fitness centers shall also implement 17 additional measures in addition to the 20 measures mentioned above.
  • Body art studios, estheticians, hair designers, persons licensed to practice massage therapy, and tanning facilities shall also implement an additional 11 measures to the 20 mentioned above. Walk-ins are now allowed subject to specific requirements.
  • Indoor movie theatres and cinemas shall also implement 7 additional measures to the 20 mentioned above. Effective June 16, there is no longer a limit on the number of people who may sit together in a party. 
  • Bowling alleys shall also implement 8 additional measures to the 20 mentioned above.
  • Bars shall also implement 39 additional measures to the 20 mentioned above. Capacity is up to 50 people – up from 25 – or 35% of total listed fire capacity, whichever is greater.
  • Amateur sports teams and organizations shall adhere to the 20 guidelines for non-Critical Infrastructure.
• Sports: Effective June 16, 
  • Professional sports teams and organizations must follow the rules and guidelines set by their respective leagues.
  • High school and collegiate teams and organizations must follow the rules and guidelines set by their applicable conferences or associations. 
  • Amateur sports teams and organizations must follow the criteria for non-critical infrastructure entities outlined in the order.
• Persons working outdoors without regular contact with other persons, such as delivery services, contractors, landscape businesses, and agricultural industry services shall only be required to practice Social Distancing and implement sanitation processes in the guidelines issued by the CDC.
• Healthcare industry shall adhere to Critical Infrastructure guidelines.
• Summer school shall implement additional measures that may include 11 measures.
• Child care learning centers and family child learning homes under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) allows DECAL staff-child ratios and shall also implement an additional 13 measures to the 20 mentioned above.
• Summer camps 
  • Summer camps shall also implement 33 measures and have some additional requirements. 
  • Effective June 16, campers and workers may not attend an overnight summer camp unless they have received a negative COVID-19 test within 12 days – up from seven days – prior to starting camp.
• Conventions: 
  • Effective July 1, a “convention” may occur if it meets twenty-one specific requirements in addition to the requirements for non-critical infrastructure entities. 
  • “Convention” means “an organized event of more than 100 persons that are required to register or obtain a license to gather for a common purpose at a single indoor facility or grouping of indoor facilities for more than four hours and in some cases for more than one day” and “shall include exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, and business retreats.” 
  • The term “convention” does not include any regular operation of a business that occurs on property owned or leased for the exclusive operation of such business, nor does the term encompass regular religious services, business meetings, sports competitions, or events categorized by O.C.G.A. § 16-11-173(b)(1)(A).
• Live Performance Venues: 
  • Effective July 1, a “live performance venue” may reopen for business if it complies with specific criteria based on whether it is designated Tier I, II, or III based on capacity.
  • There are certain exceptions in the order for drive-in performances; private recording sessions, livestream performances, practices, fanless events, and rehearsals; and non-ticketed or free events.
  • “Live Performance Venue” means “any indoor or outdoor location that requires patrons to purchase a license to attend an event featuring live musical, dramatical, automotive, educational, or any other type of entertainment performed before in-person patrons.” 
  • The term does not include restaurants and dining rooms, banquet facilities, private event facilities, private reception venues, weddings, drive-in venues, or events held as part of a convention, and the term does not include outdoor recreational fields used for amateur sporting events.

Read a PDF of the full 40-page order issued on June 11. 

While the statewide order is in effect, all local ordinances that are more restrictive or less restrictive than the statewide order are suspended.