Friday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended the state's public health emergency an additional month to December 9. It was previously set to end on Nov. 9.
He also renewed the current COVID-19 restrictions an additional two weeks, so they now tentatively expire at 11:59 p.m. on November 15.
Kemp first declared a public health state of emergency on March 14, and it has been continuously extended since then.
In March, he said the point of the emergency declaration was to "allow the Department of Public Health to direct specific healthcare action in extraordinary circumstances."
In a press conference at the start of October, Kemp encouraged Georgians to continue following state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
He and Georgia DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey urged Georgia residents to do the “Four Things for Fall.”
- Wear a mask
- Watch your distance
- Wash your hands
- Follow public health guidelines
“We can not take our foot off the gas,” Kemp said.
Toomey says she wanted to “emphasize the four pillars of prevention” as well as encourage folks to get a flu shot this year.
Toomey says it’s all about preventing a “twindemic,” since experts are unsure of what the effects of COVID-19 and influenza are when combined.
RELATED HEADLINES