Name: Gov. Kemp: Some shuttered Georgia businesses allowed to reopen Friday
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Gov. Kemp: Some shuttered Georgia businesses allowed to reopen Friday

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Jeff Amy, Associated Press , ReporterPublished: April 20, 2020, 1:03 pmUpdated: April 20, 2020, 7:08 pmTags: , , , Sign up for our NewslettersJeff Amy, Associated Press , ReporterPublished: April 20, 2020, 1:03 pmUpdated: April 20, 2020, 7:08 pmTags: , , , ATLANTA – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday afternoon rolled out aggressive plans to restart the state’s economy before the end of the week, saying some businesses that closed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus will be allowed to reopen as early as Friday.Kemp announced that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians and massage therapists may reopen their doors on Friday, April 24, as long as owners follow strict social distancing and hygiene requirements. By Monday, April 27, movie theaters may resume selling tickets and restaurants limited to takeout orders will be allowed to go back to limited dine-in service.“In the same way that we carefully closed businesses and urged operations to end to mitigate the virus’s spread, today we’re announcing plans to incrementally and safely reopen sectors of our economy,” Kemp said.Bars, nightclubs and live performance venues will remain closed.“We will be evaluating the data and conferring with public health officials to determine the best course of action for those establishments," Kemp said.Kemp’s action comes a month after he closed many businesses and not quite three weeks after he issued a shelter-at-home order that will remain in place until April 30. Kemp said elderly and medically fragile people should continue to stay at home until May 13, the day Georgia’s public health emergency will expire.For places of worship, holding in-person services is allowed.“It must be done in accordance with strict social distancing protocols. I urge faith leaders to continue to help us in this effort to keep their congregation safe by heading the advice of public health officials,” Kemp said. “Of course, online, call-in and drive-in services remain a good option for religious institutions.”The governor said a decline in emergency room visits by people with flu-like symptoms indicates that infections are coming down. But he acknowledged Georgia has lagged when it comes to COVID-19 testing and announced new initiatives to ramp it up.He said the state medical college in Augusta will begin producing thousands of swabs each day for collecting test samples. The school will also offer an online app statewide that would let people with symptoms consult with a clinician and be referred for testing if warranted. Georgians can access the app by visiting , downloading AU Health ExpressCare on a smartphone or calling 706-721-1852.Meanwhile, the Georgia National Guard will begin deploying teams to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities with equipment for administering 1,500 tests per day.“Testing defines the battlefield and informs our long-term strategy,” Kemp said. “These efforts significantly increase our capacity as we take measured steps forward.”As of Monday evening, , according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Infections have been confirmed in 19,399 people.Kemp’s announcement followed calls from President Donald Trump and protesters to lift restrictions.Shane Hazel, a libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, promoted a small protest Sunday at the Cherokee County courthouse in Canton. In video posted on his Facebook page, Hazel argued that the restrictions were an unconstitutional imposition and that officials had “overstepped.”State Rep. David Clark, a Buford Republican, posted online Friday that it was “time for Georgia and America to reopen for business.”“If we continue on the path we are headed down, we will totally destroy not only the U.S. economy, but also the world economy,” he said.Automaker Kia planned to reopen its manufacturing plant in west Georgia next week after a nearly monthlong shutdown that the company attributed to supply chain shortages and concerns about the virus. All 2,800 workers at Kia’s plant in West Point will return to work when production resumes, plant spokesman Rick Douglas said.Douglas did not give a specific reopening date. Georgia’s only auto plant has been shut down since March 30.On Monday, about 40 workers at the plant began making face shields to help offset a shortage of protective gear for medical workers and first responders. The company said those workers are having their temperatures scanned and are being provided with masks and gloves. Their workstations are arranged to enforce social distancing. Douglas said similar safeguards will be used when the rest of Kia’s Georgia employees return to work next week.In neighboring Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that most businesses will begin reopening as soon as next week.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause severe illness such as pneumonia or death.Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved./Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jeff Amy, Associated Press , ReporterPublished: April 20, 2020, 1:03 pmUpdated: April 20, 2020, 7:08 pmTags: , , , Sign up for our NewslettersJeff Amy, Associated Press , ReporterPublished: April 20, 2020, 1:03 pmUpdated: April 20, 2020, 7:08 pmTags: , , , ATLANTA – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday afternoon rolled out aggressive plans to restart the state’s economy before the end of the week, saying some businesses that closed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus will be allowed to reopen as early as Friday.Kemp announced that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios,...

Gov. Kemp: Some shuttered Georgia businesses allowed to reopen Friday

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