Clayton County on Tuesday mandated the use of face masks in public, three days after Gov. Brian Kemp gave local governments some control over the issue.
In an unanimous vote, the commission said visitors to unincorporated Clayton County must have on face masks in public and in government buildings. The mandate does not include private businesses such as restaurants and retail outlets, which are free to design their own safety protocols.
Individuals may go without a mask in parks and on trails when they can maintain a six-foot buffer between themselves and others as outlined in the coronavirus safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the county said. They also can eschew the face coverings for reasons of religion, health, an inability to get them on and off, and for children 2 years old or younger.
“Those are authorized reasons not to wear a face mask,” Clayton County Attorney Charles Reed said.
Clayton joins what experts expect will be a flood of local Georgia governments calling for mandates as the state’s coronavirus outbreak worsens. The White House on Monday said Georgia leads the nation in new COVID-19 cases.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul on Tuesday mandated face masks while the Alpharetta City Council is expected to take up the matter on Monday.
Kemp signed an executive order on Saturday allowing local governments to issue the mandates, a reversal from his earlier stance against such decrees. The move comes after the governor last week dropped his lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for issuing a face mask mandate in July. He signed the order allowing local governments who meet requirements to make their own decisions on the matter two days later.
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