Georgia chamber chief: Critics missing the point of Kemp's business reopening plan

ATLANTA - As Georgia dine-in restaurants and theaters prepare to reopen Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp continues to be hit with criticism over businesses including barbershops and hair salons he let reopen Friday.

Public health experts, mayors across Georgia and legislative Democrats are questioning the logic of making such “close-contact” businesses the first to reopen when the state has yet to see a 14-day decline in COVID-19 cases as specified under federal coronavirus guidelines for reopening the economy.

But the criticism of Kemp’s handling of the crisis misses the fact that bars and nightclubs, gyms and fitness centers, dine-in services at restaurants, theaters, bowling alleys and the close-contact personal care shops are the only businesses the governor shut down to discourage the spread of COVID-19, said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

The shelter-in-place order Kemp issued early this month allowed all other businesses – including those in the retail sector – to remain open, subject to a lengthy list of restrictions aimed at preserving social distancing. The restrictions include screening employees for illness, disinfecting the premises, requiring employees who come into close contact with customers to wear masks and requiring at least six feet of space between workers and between workers and customers.

Read more: https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/georgia-chamber-chief-critics-missing-the-point-of-kemp-s-business-reopening-plan/article_1ec038dd-8e67-583a-8b3b-db216a2ea43c.html