Norcross City Council will meet in person in June to discuss how to safely loosen COVID-19 restrictions.
More than a year since they last met in person, officials in the Gwinnett city will consider a resolution at their June 7 meeting concerning a safe reopening for the city. The meeting will be held in the community room at City Hall, which will be livestreamed and provide adequate space for social distancing.
“There’s a lot that’s lost when you’re meeting electronically versus in person,” Mayor Craig Newton said. “You can’t see or feel inflections as well as you can in person. ... Getting back together, we’re excited about it.”
Newton and councilmembers made their decision to hold in-person meetings Monday night, based on the new CDC guidelines and advice from Audrey Arona, district health director for the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments.
On Monday, Arona told the Council that there were 118 cases per 100,000 people in Gwinnett County over the last two weeks. The percent of all people tested for coronavirus in Gwinnett County who are positive is now less than 5%. According to health officials, a positivity rate of less than 5% indicates that municipalities can safely reopen.
The resolution will loosen the stricter guidelines enacted at the start of the pandemic, Newton said.
“We may be over coronavirus, but the coronavirus is not over us yet,” Newton said. “A lot of people have not been vaccinated ... There’s an opportunity to spread to those who have not been vaccinated, and the vaccination is not 100%. You have that factor to consider also.”
As of Tuesday, only 29% of Gwinnett County residents were fully vaccinated, while 36% had received at least one dose, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s vaccine distribution dashboard. Statewide, 30% of all Georgians are fully vaccinated, and 37% have received at least one dose.
Before casting a vote on June 7, city officials will continue to shape the resolution, which will affect the use of masks in public buildings and events held by the city. Norcross will likely recommend but not require the use of masks by unvaccinated individuals at outdoor events, said Mary Beth Bender, assistant city manager.
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