Clayton County issues mandatory shelter in place order due to coronavirus

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners

After midnight Tuesday, Clayton County will join the growing list of metro Atlanta cities and counties that have enacted mandatory shelter in place policies for residents amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Anyone living in unincorporated Clayton County will be mandated to stay at their homes, with the exception of “essential activities,” the county board of commissioners said in a news release.

These activities include work-related responsibilities, obtaining groceries and medicine, exercise and taking care of family members or pets in another household. For a full list of "essential activities," click here to read the full document.

When out in public, residents are also ordered to practice social distancing by staying six feet away from others at all times, the release said.

All public and private events and gatherings are also prohibited within the county, which includes weddings, religious gatherings, parties and funerals among others.

RELATED: Henry County board rejects shelter-in-place order

Clayton County police and other law enforcement officers will enforce the shelter in place policy through “information delivery and education” instead of with arrests or citations.

The order will last through April 12.

On Tuesday, the City of Riverdale also announced a curfew in an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The curfew will be enforced between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

MORE: Riverdale sets curfew, state of emergency because of coronavirus

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