Coronavirus In Atlanta: Restaurants Open, Cases In Town

ATLANTA, GA — The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the Atlanta area. Schools are closed as students learn through virtual classrooms, nonessential businesses have been ordered to temporarily close and more, as a way to prevent the risk of COVID-19 spreading.

The number of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases in Georgia spiked over the past 24 hours. The updated tally, released at noon on Tuesday, reflects an increase of more than 1,000 cases from noon on Monday, and 21 additional deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Numbers released Tuesday at noon show 108 deaths, 818 hospitalized and 3,817 confirmed cases in Georgia.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Fulton County's 547 cases are the most of any Georgia locality. The next highest totals are 455 in Dougherty County, DeKalb with 325 cases, Cobb with 272 cases, Gwinnett with 233 cases, Bartow with 129 cases and Carroll with 122 cases.

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Here is what happened Tuesday in Georgia: GA Tops 100 Coronavirus Deaths, Cases Pass 1,000 A Day

ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Gov. Brian Kemp ordered Georgia public schools to remain closed through April 24 due to the coronavirus. The governor says he will make a decision on the remainder of the school year before that date.

The Atlanta Public School Superintendent Dr. Meria Joel Carstarphen wrote in a letter Tuesday that the district is remaining closed.

“Thank you for hanging in there with us over these past two weeks. As you know, given Governor Kemp’s recent executive order, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) will remain closed through Friday, April 24. This week begins our third full week of teleschooling and teleworking, and I have to give a huge shout out to the thousands of you — parents, students, and staff — who joined us on Facebook Live this past Thursday for our virtual District Town Hall. It was so refreshing to connect and engage with all of you in this age of social distancing, quarantines, and isolation…”

The district’s food distribution schedule for students and families will be closed for Spring Break, April 6-10.

Carstarphen said they have arranged for families to pick up a weekly supply of shelf-stable groceries Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon, while supplies last, at five anchor sites:

● Bunche Middle School - 1925 Niskey Lake Rd., SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
● Cleveland Avenue Elementary School - 2672 Old Hapeville Rd., SW, Atlanta, GA 30315
● Douglass High School - 225 Hamilton E Holmes Dr., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
● Phoenix Academy (formerly Alonzo Crim High School) - 256 Clifton St., SE, Atlanta,
GA 30317
● Sylvan Hills Middle School - 1461 Sylvan Rd., SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

People should come prepared to carry four bags of heavy food items:

Beginning Monday, April 13, the district will be streamlining its meal distribution from providing meals five days a week to providing meals one day a week each Monday from 10
a.m. to noon via drive thru. The same amount of food as the daily service will still be provided.

Drive-thru service and walk up for service will be available at each site. Students will be provided with five-day meal bags, containing five breakfast meals and five lunch meals each Monday. Those meals will be available at 10 school sites.

The five-day breakfast and lunch meals will be delivered through its bus delivery service only on Monday using the same route schedule.

A bag of weekly groceries will also be available for families at our five anchor sites (Bunche Middle School, Cleveland Avenue Elementary School, Douglass High School, Phoenix Academy, and Sylvan Hills Middle School).

Volunteers can sign up at any of the food distribution sites online.

CITY OF ATLANTA

Fewer than 10 people are allowed in nonessential businesses that require direct human contact like nail salon services, beauty salon services, massage services and churches .

Early voting has been suspended. The Georgia Presidential Preference Primary and Special Election is now scheduled for May 19. For details on voting, visit the Secretary of State website.

All public meetings, events and outreach activities are canceled or postponed at this time. The Board of Commissioners' regular and recess meetings will continue as scheduled. Proclamation presentations will be canceled.

• The following Fulton County services are closed to the public:
• Arts Centers
• Senior Centers
• Libraries
• Wolf Creek Amphitheater
• Training Centers for individuals with developmental disabilities
• Animal Control Facility (adoptions)
• Greenbriar Mall and North Fulton Service Center Tax Commissioner Offices
• The Atlanta Judicial Circuit has issued an order declaring a judicial emergency in Fulton County. Effective March 16, no jurors or grand jurors should report, and no jury trials will be held for 30 days.

• The library is asking that patrons not return books during this closure. Library staff will adjust due dates and waive fines.
• Digital resources such as Hoopla, Libby, Overdrive, Freegal, and more are always available online.

Libraries: All Fulton County libraries are closed until further notice. Scheduled events have been canceled. Digital resources are still available.

Post Office: Post offices in Atlanta are still open. The US Postal Service is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and continues to follow strategies and measures recommended by the CDC and public health departments. There is a temporary suspension of the guarantee on Priority Mail Express International destined for China and Hong Kong. Customers may see delays in mail and packages destined to China as well as from China.

Georgia Aquarium: Closed
Children's Museum of Atlanta: Closed
Gym: Closed

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