Atlanta City Hall delays full reopening as COVID-19 delta variant spreads

Atlanta is delaying the full reopening of City Hall to the public as health experts voice caution amid the spread of the coronavirus’ delta variant.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a memo distributed to employees on Friday, and it stated the city is delaying the reopening of facilities to the public until after Labor Day. The mayor’s office told the AJC Friday afternoon that Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is holding a press conference on Tuesday to explain the city’s plans for addressing COVID-19′s highly contagious delta variant.

Bottoms signed an executive order Wednesday evening mandating anyone in Atlanta to wear a mask indoors when out in public, whether or not they are vaccinated.

“The city is moving back to Phase 3 of our reopening plan, based upon the metrics and data. However, we are updating aspects of the plan and guidelines based upon public health guidance to reflect the important impact of the vaccines. Telework will remain optional, based upon an evaluation of the suitability of positions for teleworking and whether individually it is a viable alternative for both the employee and the department’s service delivery needs,” according to the memo.

“The current trends continue to be concerning, especially for the unvaccinated,” the document said. The city will not mandate vaccinations for employees at this time.

The city is also implementing a plan to identify whether or not employees have been vaccinated, to provide additional education and outreach, and to provide additional access and incentives to get vaccinated.