Kemp, state officials hosting COVID-19 news conference today. Here’s how to watch
Gov. Brian Kemp and state health officials will hold a press conference Friday morning after he renewed coronavirus restrictions but banned local governments from implementing mask laws as cases and hospitalizations continue to increase statewide.
The briefing begins at 8 a.m., and will be live-streamed at facebook.com/GovKemp or gpb.org/coronavirus.
Over the past several weeks, Kemp went on a statewide mask promotion tour and has provided video updates on the state’s fight against the virus. But this is the first news conference dedicated to the topic since June 2.
The following officials will be present for the briefing:
- Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health
- Adjutant General Tom Carden, Georgia National Guard
- Homer Bryson, Director, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
- Frank Berry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Health
- Richard Woods, State School Superintendent, Georgia Department of Education
The press conference comes as Georgia reports record-breaking increases in current hospitalizations and new cases this month. As of July 16, health officials have confirmed 131,275 coronavirus cases and 3,104 deaths.
Kemp extended a set of coronavirus restrictions that limits the size of gatherings and requires businesses to implement distancing, safety and sanitation guidelines to prevent the spread of the illness. But Kemp’s order explicitly prevents local governments from passing laws or ordinances that require the use of a face covering or mask.
“It is officially official,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson wrote on Twitter Wednesday night in response to the order. “Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us. Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.” Savannah was the first Georgia city to implement a city-wide mask policy.