COVID-19 committee asks for Georgia documents, says state isn’t following recommendations
The chairman of a U.S. House COVID-19 panel says Georgia leaders are not following White House coronavirus task force recommendations and is asking Gov. Brian Kemp to provide documentation outlining the state’s response.
U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-SC, who heads the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, sent letters to Vice President Mike Pence, Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, and the governors of Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee Wednesday urging them to implement “science-based public health measures” to prevent the virus from spreading.
In his letter to Kemp, Clyburn said the state is not following at least six different recommendations from the White House task force as outlined in a weekly report provided to state officials. The task force’s latest report covered data from July 18-24, but previous reports made similar requests of Georgia leaders.
As of Thursday morning, Kemp’s office had not received a copy of Clyburn’s letter, said Kemp spokesperson Cody Hall. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported on the letter Wednesday.
“The Task Force report privately recommended that Georgia implement these health measures to help reverse the dangerous spike in cases across the state and to prevent unnecessary deaths. Failure to comply is allowing the virus to spread, prolonging and exacerbating the public health crisis facing the state,” Clyburn wrote.
What recommendations are Georgia leaders ignoring?
The White House coronavirus task force report recommends Georgia mandate the use of masks “in all current and evolving hot spots — optimally through a state mandate.” But current executive orders from Kemp only encourage their use.
Kemp has also prevented local governments from enacting more or less restrictive coronavirus laws. He filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the city council over Atlanta’s mask mandate and the city’s reopening guidelines.
The task force also recommends that businesses where social distancing and mask use isn’t possible, such as bars and entertainment venues, be closed. Gatherings should be limited to 10 people. Gyms in many counties where the virus is spreading quickly should be closed. All business retailers and personal services should require masks and implement social distancing measures. Indoor dining should be limited to less than 25% occupancy with an increased focus on outdoor dining, according to Clyburn’s letter.
Kemp has allowed gyms and bars to operate within a set of sanitation, occupancy and safety guidelines established by the state. Gatherings are currently limited to 50 people. Restaurants are required to seat diners six feet apart or use physical barriers to separate them, but there are no occupancy requirements.
Portions of Kemp’s latest orders are set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on July 31.
“There are daily discussions between Dr. (Kathleen) Toomey, Governor Kemp and others about guidance and recommendations. Both Dr. Toomey and Governor Kemp for months have recommended the use of face masks in public, along with social distancing and frequent hand-washing,” Nancy Nydam, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health, said in an email Wednesday about the task force report. “The Executive Order has been updated multiple times as recommendations and guidance have changed, and as more science about COVID-19 becomes available.”
Clyburn requested Kemp turn over all documents regarding guidance from the White House task force, any public health decisions made as a result of the federal recommendations and any additional plans meant to stop the spread of the virus to the subcommittee by August 12.
What is the White House task force saying about Georgia?
The report Clyburn cites in his letter lists Georgia as one of 21 states within the coronavirus “red zone,” meaning that over the course of a week more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people were reported and more than 10% of the state’s coronavirus tests came back positive. A copy of the federal report was obtained by McClatchy.
According to the document, Georgia reported 247 new cases per 100,000 people during the week of July 18-24, compared to a national average of 140 per 100,000. Georgia reported 312 coronavirus deaths, an increase of 122.9% from the week of July 11-17. The percentage of positive tests and number of new cases also increased.
“Georgia is experiencing widespread community spread without evidence of improvement,” the report reads. “Improvement will require much more aggressive mitigation efforts to change the trajectory of the pandemic in Georgia.”
The five metro areas with the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the last three weeks are: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Savannah, Augusta-Richmond County, Columbus and Macon-Bibb County.
The five red zone counties with the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the last three weeks are: Fulton, Gwinnett, Chatham, Muscogee and Clayton.
“It calls out our state, political and public health leadership for not putting in place the policies and practices that we know need to be in place to get a handle on the crisis,” said Dr. Harry J. Heiman, a clinical associate professor at Georgia State University’s School of Public Health. “We can’t get out of this situation by building more hospital beds or buying more ventilators. We have to address the public health crisis by controlling the spread of this virus in communities.”
Based on data analyzed by McClatchy, Muscogee County reported 504 new cases from July 18-24, an average of 72 cases per day. Ten new coronavirus deaths were also reported during this period.
Bibb County reported 537 new cases from July 18-24, an average of nearly 77 cases per day. Seven new coronavirus deaths were also reported during this period.
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 2:24 PM.
CORRECTION: Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the total number of deaths reported.