What A Stay-At-Home GA Coronavirus Order Could Look Like

ATLANTA, GA — In recent days, California, Illinois, New York and most recently New Jersey officials have ordered tens of million of residents to stay home in the most extreme measures taken yet to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. As of Saturday, Georgia health officials reported 507 confirmed cases of coronavirus in more than 50 counties, along with 14 deaths — and said they expect those numbers to continue to rise.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered the state's K-12 schools closed through March 31, and the Georgia National Guard was called in to help with the distribution of food and medicine after Kemp signed Georgia's first public health emergency declaration. The state of emergency includes price control restrictions statewide until April 14 as shoppers scramble to find necessities like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

Unlike some governors, both Republicans and Democrats, Kemp has not ordered malls to close, banned large gatherings or restricted restaurants to serve only carry-out or delivery.

Some cities have enacted those restrictions. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has issued a state of emergency for Atlanta, ultimately banning gatherings of more than 50 people through the end of the month.

On Friday, the Atlanta mayor ordered all city bars and restaurants to only provide take-out. However, she also is allowing to-go orders of alcohol, she said Friday. Many other metro Atlanta cities followed soon after, including Alpharetta and Johns Creek.

More cities that closed dining rooms:

• Coronavirus: Woodstock Mayor Allows To-Go Alcohol From Eateries
• Coronavirus: Sandy Springs Closes Eateries, Allows To-Go Alcohol
• Coronavirus: Roswell Bans Dining In, Allows To-Go Alcohol
• Coronavirus: Woodstock Mayor Allows To-Go Alcohol From Eateries
• Coronavirus: Alpharetta Bans Dine-In, Cancels Taste Of Alpharetta
• Coronavirus: Johns Creek Bans Dining In, Allows To-Go Alcohol

Saturday morning Kemp re-tweeted General Joseph L. Lengyel, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, who said there is no plan underway for a national quarantine. "Misinformation is rampant these days. Rely on official sources, not rumors," Kemp wrote.

The State of Georgia has a new coronavirus hotline: 1-844-442-2681. Georgians with questions or concerns about the virus may call this hotline.

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Many Georgia cities and counties have enacted emergency ordinances including:

• Coronavirus: Alpharetta, Milton Adopt Emergency Ordinance
• Coronavirus: Johns Creek Council Adopts Emergency Ordinance
• Coronavirus: Sandy Springs Issues State Of Emergency
• Coronavirus: Roswell Adopts Emergency Operations Ordinance
• Coronavirus: Forsyth County Declares State Of Emergency

What would a stay-at-home order 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 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 Kemp's 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.

What's it like being locked-down long term?

It's still early, but the San Francisco Bay Area has been under a shelter-in-place order since Monday afternoon. For vox.com, resident Kelsey Piper wrote about her experience so far with the lockdown. She described last-minute visits with friends before the order went into effect and the psychological effects of being required to stay home.

"It's weird how much being locked down feels different from staying home voluntarily. We'd decided weeks ago we should avoid others, do our part in preventing this pandemic from overrunning hospitals. But now that it's required, it's stressful," Piper wrote.

She also described confusion over what businesses count as essential and more generally about what people can do to slow the spread of the virus.

"There's a sense of patriotism, of courage, of civic duty, but it's stifled and poorly directed," Piper continued. "We want to serve our country, but we don't know how. We want to save our neighbors, but we don't know how. On many of the most critical questions, the experts don't know either."

Follow our latest coronavirus coverage in Georgia:

• Marietta Church Continues Children's, Youth Ministry Online

With reporting from Christopher Huffaker, Kathleen Sturgeon and Andrea Watson, Patch Staff