Coronavirus: Here's What's Open And Closed In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — Concerns of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, spreading has set in motion cities implementing bans, shoppers clearing off shelves and businesses taking extra precaution. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a state of emergency for the city on Sunday night, updating the the ban to gatherings of more than 50 people. It'll run through the end of the month. On Saturday Gov. Brian Kemp signed Georgia's first public health emergency declaration. Stores in Atlanta are limiting select items for purchase and big events are getting canceled.

Here's a list of what's open and closed in Atlanta.

Schools: Fulton County schools are closed, but students are continuing instruction from home through “Remote Learning.”

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 beginning March 14 for two weeks

Children's Museum of Atlanta: Closed through the end of March

AMC Theatres: Open with limited seating

Gym: Planet Fitness is open, L.A. Fitness is closed

Planet Fitness shared this statement Monday with Patch:

“At Planet Fitness, the health of our members, team members and neighbors is our top priority. We are committed to providing a clean and welcoming workout environment, and we have extensive cleanliness policies and procedures in place. Team members conduct regular and thorough cleaning of all equipment, surfaces, and areas of the club and gym floor using disinfectant cleaning supplies. In addition, they regularly complete overnight cleaning of the club. We continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves and are following guidance from health authorities and government officials.”

L.A. Fitness announced Monday night its temporarily closing until April 1.

Government offices:

Atlanta City Council will conduct its second mock meeting through remote access on Tuesday, March 17 at 10 a.m. A telework day for all Council members and their staff, the Office of Research and Policy Analysis, Office of Communications, and Office of the Municipal Clerk is scheduled for Thursday, March 19.

"We want to be prepared for anything that may cause disruptions to our daily activities and access to City Hall," said Atlanta City Council President Felicia A. Moore in a statement. "The mock meetings and designated telework day will give us the opportunity to gauge our procedures, train our staff, and resolve any technical issues to ensure there is continuity in our operations in the event of an emergency."

Council members will cast votes electronically while communicating through a phone bridge.

The public can email public comments to epc@atlantaga.gov. Messages received via email for public comment will be acknowledged as received during the Full Council meeting, distributed to Council members, and included in the meeting minutes. Email messages will be received for public comment up until 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.

The public can access the live meeting using the conference bridge by dialing (877) 579-6743 and entering ID number 8315991256.

Globally, more than 174,000 people have been infected and more than 6,700 people have died from the COVID-19, Johns Hopkins reported Monday morning. Of that total, more than 80,000 confirmed cases are in China, while the entire United States has 3,813 confirmed cases as of Monday. Forty-two deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak.

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• Interactive Map: Latest U.S. Coronavirus Cases

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