Governor Kemp eases or eliminates several Covid rules

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The governor has lifted Covid mask and distance rules for Georgia’s restaurants, bars, movie theaters, gyms, and childcare facilities as of May 1.

As of Friday, April 30, Governor Brian Kemp signed Executive Order 04.30.21.01, regarding Covid-19 guidance in Georgia, which will be in effect from May 1st to May 30:

Key provisions of the new executive order:

1. Modifies the social distancing and sanitation requirements for residents and visitors to “strongly encouraged.”

2. Eliminates the restaurant and bar table distancing requirements and workers’ mask requirement.

3. Eliminates all specific requirements for gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, body art studios, estheticians, hair stylists, and massage therapists.

4. Reduces the requirements for Conventions.

5. Eliminates the requirement that childcare facilities prohibit all unnecessary visitors.

6. Provides that Live Performance Venues, regardless of seating capacity, are only required to follow the guidelines for all Organizations, and such venues may implement additional measures in conjunction with the performer or organizer of an event.

7. Maintains that professional, collegiate, and high school sports organizations and events shall operate pursuant to the rules or guidelines issued by their respective league, conference, or association.

8. Clarifies that graduation ceremonies are only required to follow the guidelines for all organizations.

15 COMMENTS

    • Just don’t wear the mask. A free citizen of a Republic doesn’t ask for permission to not be muzzled by government, corporations, or petty tyrants who try to bully them in the commons.

        • They would not. The right to refuse service in public accommodations effectively ended decades ago. There are a few very narrow circumstances where they could try, but the inevitable discrimination lawsuit with its variable chance of prevailing wouldn’t be worth it.

          • Go to the store and observe the number of people with footwear other than shoes. Then you tell me.

          • Way to dodge the question. Can I be refused service for not wearing a shirt or shoes? yes or no?

          • “Mask wearing” is not part of a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mask requirements do not violate anyone’s civil rights as long as the business uniformly enforce the same requirements. Similarly, as long as businesses uniformly mandate all customers wear shirts and footwear, they are allowed to enact similarly lawful policies.

            Separately, the Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that reasonable accommodation is made to protect the rights of those with disabilities. The legal definition of a disability is not a self-proclaimed desire to not wear a mask, but the finding by a qualified medical professional that a disability exists, and that the only reasonable accommodation possible requires that a mask not be worn.

            While you are free to bring a lawsuit against your grocery store, or any other public accommodation, there is a legal threshold to your challenge that would be virtually impossible to overcome.

            There’s probably no better parallel for Georgia than the “Guns Everywhere” legislation that was passed several years ago. Even though individual gun ownership is protected by the Second Amendment, businesses can prohibit you from bringing a gun into their establishment if they post a conspicuous sign stating so. This is probably the clearest parallel to the mask signs that businesses post today, requiring a mask, and that’s without the force of a constitutional amendment.

        • Not so sure, since the Americans with Disability Act may have something to say about limiting a persons ability to breathe – kind of the same way that state and local governments told restaurants that they are prohibited from allowing smoking in their private establishment even if they wanted to.

          • Your example makes the exact counter to the point you’re trying to illustrate. Smoking in restaurants is heavily restricted because the collective health benefits to the restriction outweigh the individual’s desire to smoke. Similarly, the collective health benefit to mask requirements outweighs the individual’s desire to not wear a mask.

        • So you will admit a grocery store would be well within their right to refuse service to a “free citizen of the republic” should they refuse to wear a mask during a pandemic? As they would be within their right to refuse a person not wearing shoes or shirt?

          You don’t have to answer or reply, but I’m glad you see it now.