Coronavirus: Alpharetta Considering Shelter-In-Place Wednesday

ALPHARETTA, GA — The City of Alpharetta will be considering a shelter-in-place order at an emergency virtual meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said the sole purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of an emergency ordinance. The ordinance will "declare a state of emergency in the city of Alpharetta during the public emergency of the coronavirus disease."

If passed, the ordinance will include:

• Direct residents to shelter in place
• Direct certain people to isolate and quarantine
• Prohibit all non-essential travel
• Prohibit all gatherings of 10 or more
• Close all city facilities to the public with certain exceptions
• Establish the closure or modified operation of certain businesses
• Provide for small business assistance

Related: Coronavirus: Alpharetta Bans Dine-In, Cancels Taste Of Alpharetta

The meeting will be virtual online using Zoom Meetings, and is still open to the public to join. To ensure the best online experience for all participants, attendees are asked to keep their cameras turned off and their microphones muted during the meeting unless they wish to speak when public comment is invited. The session will be recorded and the recording made available online within 72 hours after the conclusion of the meeting.

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Coronavirus: Canton Issues Shelter-In-Place Order

The City of Canton issued a shelter-in-place order on March 25. The shelter-in-place order for Canton means citizens should remain in their homes except when traveling to locations outlined in the declaration. People can travel to work, or the grocery store, to exercise or to an essential business. The list of essential businesses is located here under section 10.

Canton is not currently under a curfew, and residents do not need a pass to go to work or leave their homes for essential business.

Canton residents may also travel from their home to the household of another family member to assist in their healthcare.

The City of Canton parks and trails are open for public use and may be used for exercise as long as guests follow CDC guidelines on social distancing and spacing of at least 6 feet. City of Canton playgrounds, ball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and athletic fields are closed. Any activity of more than 10 people are in violation of the Executive Order of the Governor.

What would a stay-at-home order could look like in Georgia:

What is a stay-at-home order?

Usually government officials order residents to shelter in place during emergencies like storms or police activity. Residents are often required to stay at home for the duration of the event. Obviously, with a viral outbreak that could last months, the order may not be quite as comprehensive.

What's the point?

In this case, the idea of a stay-at-home order would be to enforce social distancing. Public health officials recommend residents avoid gatherings and maintain at least six feet between them, in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. That's why Gov. Brian Kemp, or mayors, have closed schools statewide, banned large gatherings and barred dine-in customers from restaurants in some areas.

Say they call a stay-at-home here. Could I get arrested if I violated it?

That would likely depend on the order, but the California order is enforceable by law. When six San Francisco Bay Area counties ordered residents to shelter-in-place earlier this week, law enforcement agencies said they'd look to "educate people, not to make arrests." In Alameda County, officials explained that violating the order is a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or arrest, but the "intent is not for anyone to get in trouble."

Would that mean I wouldn't be able to get groceries?

Generally, residents are allowed to leave the house for "essential needs," which is defined as visits to grocery stores, banks, convenience stores, pharmacies, restaurants for delivery and pick up only, laundromats, skilled trades essential to maintaining the safety and sanitation of residences, hardware stores, medical service providers, first responders, transportation providers, government activities and essential social service providers and shelters.

The stay-at-home order in California has a number of exceptions:

• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
• Banks
• Laundromats/laundry services

Essential government functions are still open. Currently in Georgia many government offices are closed, but residents can still access government services online or by phone.

What about exercising or walking the dog?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that residents can still take their kids outside or walk their dogs, as long as they practice social distancing.