14 Day Stay At Home Order Issued By Atlanta Mayor: Coronavirus

ATLANTA, GA — A 14-day stay at home order is in place for the city of Atlanta. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed the order Monday night. She made the announcement on Twitter, saying the decision was made “based upon our density & specific needs/concerns in Atlanta.”

"Given our population density, high rate of asthma, and various underlying health conditions found within our city’s populations, I am issuing a Stay at Home Order for Atlantans,” Bottoms said in a news release.

The order states that all city of Atlanta residents are told to stay home. Excluded groups include essential services, essential activities, and those who work for government services.

“Until we flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, the city must exercise every reasonable power to slow the spread of this virus,” Bottoms said. "Across the globe we are seeing a growing sense of urgency, and we must all make some sacrifices to break the chain of infections and avert a worst-case scenario.”

All bars and nightclubs that do not serve food are temporarily closed. Also closed are gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, live performance venues, bowling alleys, and arcades, and private social clubs.

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She said the order doesn’t include the Atlanta BeltLine, parks, essential businesses, parks or takeout at restaurants. Outdoor activity such as walking, hiking, or running is still permitted as long as people practice social distancing.

Bottoms said that people can still go to grocery stores, but non-essential businesses must halt operations.

Globally, more than 392,000 people have been infected and more than 17,000 people have died from the COVID-19 virus, Johns Hopkins reported as of Tuesday. Of that total, more than 81,400 confirmed cases are in China, while the entire United States has 46,000 confirmed cases as of Tuesday. There have been 593 deaths in the U.S., including 25 in Georgia, that have been tied to the virus outbreak.

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