Can I still get to-go booze? What to know about Columbus’ coronavirus emergency order

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson on Friday issued a declaration of local emergency, which set parameters for social gatherings and business operations in the city beginning at midnight that day.

The declaration ordered no public or private gatherings of more than 10 people anywhere in the city to limit the possible spread of COVID-19.

The order will go before Columbus Council to be ratified during the March 24 meeting, which takes place at 5:30 p.m.

Henderson said council members each received a copy of the order via email prior to it being signed and released to the public on Friday.

The order currently extends until April 3, but the mayor has the authority to extend the order without a vote of city council.

Despite a press release and video announcement, misinformation began to spread Friday evening on social media about the contents of the declaration and what it means.

To help limit any further confusion, the Ledger-Enquirer has broken down exactly what the order means for the citizens of Columbus.

No curfew, no quarantine

The declaration of local emergency contains no language that orders residents to stay in their homes or be inside their homes after a certain hour.

“As of right now there is no quarantine, there’s no ‘shelter in place,’ although those actions remain in our toolbox if we think that’s what’s necessary,” Henderson said Monday.

“We’re monitoring it literally hour by hour, and I wouldn’t be surprised too if some kind of state recommendations or guidelines came down, because I think people are beginning to realize there is one group involved that can impact the spread of this virus, and that’s everybody in Columbus, Georgia and their neighbors,” he said.

Henderson said the order is not just to protect the health and safety of the community but also takes into account the financial ramifications for business owners.

“We’re acting on the premise that if we can get everybody to pull together and make a difference in a short period of time, then the economic pain from two or three weeks being closed is going to be a lot less than if this thing just continues for the next four or five months,” he said.

Gatherings must be 10 people or less, inside or outside

According to the order, indoor and outdoor gatherings where 10 or more people would be brought into a single room or single confined space are prohibited, including:

• Auditoriums
• Stadiums (indoor or outdoor)
• Tent areas
• Event centers
• Music venues
• Meeting halls
• Conference centers
• Large cafeterias
• Any other confined indoor or outdoor space

Prohibited gatherings do not include the following, so long as persons in attendance are not within six feet of each other for extended periods:

• Spaces where people are in transit or waiting for transit such as airports, bus stations or terminals
• Office or manufacturing space
• Child care facilities
• Residential buildings
• Any type of temporary sheltering or housing
• Grocery stores or pharmacies
• Hospitals or medical facilities

Some businesses are closed, others restricted

The order also includes regulations for businesses and restaurants. Restaurants are closed to the public except to provide takeout or curbside service, including alcoholic beverages in sealed containers which they are otherwise licensed to dispense.

Most retail establishments are allowed to remain open, but are subject to certain conditions.

Businesses smaller than 30,000 square feet are not allowed to have more than 10 customers on their premises at one time, while businesses larger than 30,000 square feet can have no more than 50 customers on their premises at one time.

Grocery stores, including Walmart Supercenters that contain grocery stores, are currently exempt from this rule.

For scale, Walmart Supercenter stores are around 182,000 square feet, Walmart Neighborhood Markets are around 38,000 square feet, TJ Maxx stores are around 30,000 square feet and Dollar General Stores are around 7,300 square feet, according to the stores’ websites.

Customers are not allowed to be within six feet of each other for extended periods of time.

Other types of businesses are completely closed. Business locations with on-premise consumption alcoholic beverage licenses which are not also restaurants (otherwise know as bars) are closed for business.

Body care services that require close physical contact between the provider and client are also closed, including:

• Barbering
• Hair design
• Cosmetology
• Esthetic services
• Massage therapy (except for medically licensed physical therapy)
• Tattooing
• Nail care

And indoor recreation facilities are closed, including:

• Gyms
• Health studios
• Indoor amusement facilities
• Bowling alleys
• Pool halls
• Theaters

The list of businesses closed to the public could change at any time, Henderson said.

“By issuing this order, we knew we weren’t going to be able to cover every single item,” he said. “The hope was it would convey how serious we’re taking this and how significantly important it is that the public provide some of this physical distancing from one another. It’s the only thing that’s going to keep it from spreading. If we end up with areas that are not helping us help the people of Columbus, Georgia, we’ll step in and tighten restrictions.”

The order is enforceable

The order states that it can be enforced according to Section 1-8 of the city’s code.

Violations of the order are a misdemeanor offense, and according to the code section, any person who violates or fails to comply with the order can be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or by both fine and imprisonment.

Any person cited in violation of the order would appear before a judge to determine the fine amount or any jail time.

Henderson said public safety officers have copies of the order and the code that specifies the penalties, and will drop by and encourage businesses and citizens to comply. He said he is currently looking at the enforcement side as a public service opportunity to help educate on how to keep citizens healthy.

“We’ve only gone through one weekend, we know people aren’t going to get it exactly right right out of the gate,” Henderson said. “There are some that stumbled and then the second day I think led by example of how to deal with it. There are others we’re going to continue to try and remind.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 1:33 PM.