Tag Archives: Brian Kemp

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday withdrew his lawsuit challenging the city of Atlanta’s mask mandate and coronavirus restrictions, ending a legal feud between the Republican governor and the Democratic leader of the state’s capital city over how to contain the pandemic. Kemp said he will instead sign an executive order Saturday that is expected to specify …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday ruled out ordering public school systems to impose mask mandates for returning students and teachers, echoing his preference that local education officials decide whether to require face coverings to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Kemp, speaking at the opening of a testing site at Hartsfield-Jackson airport, said he was confident …

Axios reports: The governors in four of the states hit hardest by the coronavirus have taken a massive hit in public approval over their handling of the pandemic, according to SurveyMonkey poll data shared exclusively with Axios. Why it matters: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — all Republicans …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration went to court Thursday seeking to block Atlanta from enacting coronavirus restrictions and requiring residents to wear masks, setting up a legal showdown between the state and local governments over efforts to contain the disease. The state filed a lawsuit challenging Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ July 10 decision to revert to …

The Washington Post reports: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed an executive order Wednesday night explicitly banning cities from enacting their own mask mandates, even as the state experiences a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and other Republican governors are turning to mask orders to try to quell the surge. Kemp’s order voids existing mask mandates in more than a …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has reinstated Phase 1 reopening guidelines after a steady surge in coronavirus cases. In following Phase 1 guidelines, residents should wear face masks, restaurants should close dining rooms, non-essential city facilities should close and individuals are encouraged to leave home only for essential trips. The Phase 1 guidelines conflict with guidance …

Atlanta’s NBC News affiliate reports: Georgia had the largest single day increase of coronavirus cases so far on Friday. The number of coronavirus cases across the state reached 111,211. That’s an increase of 4,484 new cases since Thursday. That’s nearly 1,000 more cases than the previous record set last Thursday, where Georgia’s cases increased by nearly 3,500 cases. The percentage …

The Associated Press reports: Voters endured heat, pouring rain and waits as long as five hours on Tuesday to cast ballots in Georgia, demonstrating a fierce desire to participate in the democratic process while raising questions about the emerging battleground state’s ability to manage elections in November when the White House is at stake. A confluence of events disrupted primary …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday that he’ll continue to roll back coronavirus restrictions as long as residents abide by safety guidelines, adding that his decision to allow more businesses to reopen is “reinvigorating” the state’s stalled economy. During a visit to a Macon hospital, Kemp said Georgia’s data “continue to look really good,” and he downplayed …

Atlanta’s NBC News affiliate reports: With doubts surrounding if the Republican National Convention can happen in North Carolina, Gov. Brian Kemp has offered Georgia as an alternative site. Right now, the RNC is scheduled to be held in Charlotte Aug. 24-27. But President Donald Trump tweeted the party “will be reluctantly forced” to find another site if Gov. Roy Cooper …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp extended some coronavirus restrictions Tuesday as he eased other limits imposed during the pandemic, setting the stage for summer camps to reopen and some state employees to return to offices within a week. The governor ordered bars, nightclubs and live performance venues to remain shuttered through the end of May, which he said …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: State health officials have confirmed an additional 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing Georgia’s total infections above 27,000. As of noon Thursday, the Georgia Department of Public Health was reporting just over 26,000 confirmed cases. That number now stands at 27,134, according to data released at 12:25 p.m. Friday. At …

“Our unprecedented battle with COVID-19 has proven the resolve of the people of Georgia to fight hard, come together, and do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus. “While we cannot all be together right now, we can join with one another in prayer for our frontline healthcare workers, first responders, law enforcement, business owners, local leaders, …

Politico reports: Georgia Rep. Doug Collins on Thursday criticized Gov. Brian Kemp’s aggressive plan to reopen their state’s economy, accusing Kemp of “not communicating clearly” amid the coronavirus outbreak and failing to solicit input from local leaders. The GOP congressman’s harsh assessment represented a rebuke of his Republican governor and signaled Collins’ intention to instead side with President Donald Trump …

Yahoo News reports: Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the leading medical experts on President Trump’s coronavirus task force, tried to reconcile the controversial order by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reopening some businesses across the state with the task force recommendations that call for continued social distancing. Among the businesses that Kemp, a Republican and a strong supporter of President Trump, …

Politico reports: Republican governors across the Southeast are teaming up to reopen the region’s economy, even as they lack the testing to know how rapidly the coronavirus is spreading. One health expert called the political decision a “perfect storm” for the virus to reassert itself. The newly formed coalition includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, a part …

The New York Post reports: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday lauded his home state’s plan to reopen its economy during the coronavirus pandemic — but chided neighboring Georgia for “going too fast too soon.” “I support what South Carolina Governor @henrymcmaster announced yesterday — a small reopening of our state’s economy with a focus on social distancing. I …

NBC News reports: Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams on Tuesday denounced GOP Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to allow a number of businesses to reopen this week, one of the first governors to do so amid the coronavirus outbreak. “There’s nothing about this that makes sense,” Abrams said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The mayors of Atlanta, Albany and Savannah …

Atlanta’s Fox News affiliate reports: Given the favorable data, Gov. Brian Kemp said that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, beauty shops and salons, barbershops, body art studios, and more would be able to open Friday, April 24. Kemp said the reopening of these businesses “would not be business-as-usual” and would require companies to implement changes to ensure sanitation mandates and …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger [photo] on Thursday postponed Georgia’s primary election for three weeks, until June 9, as the coronavirus spreads, poll workers quit and voters worry about getting sick at precincts. The election must be rescheduled because of the health risk if early voting had begun later this month for the primary, previously scheduled …