Note: The state’s shelter-in-place order trumps the Gwinnett County stay-at-home order and the county has shut down its help line and removed the FAQ from its website. Anyone who calls the number will be directed to the state’s COVID-19 hotline, which can be reached at 844-442-2681. Questions specific to Gwinnett County can be emailed to covid@gwinnettcounty.com.
Can your house cleaners still come? What about landscapers? And is it OK to be out after dark?
Gwinnett County has compiled a list of frequently asked questions after a stay-at-home order took effect Saturday to counteract the spread of COVID-19.
The FAQ addresses everything from what it means to participate in outdoor activities to what constitutes an essential business, which are allowed to remain open.
The FAQ can be found at gwinnettcounty.com. (And the answers to the house cleaner, landscaper, and late-night run questions are yes, yes and yes.)
Have questions about Gwinnett's rules during the coronavirus pandemic that aren't addressed by the online FAQ? The county has also opened a phone line, staffed by code enforcement employees, to answer questions about what residents can and can't do. The number is 770-822-7399. It operates Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. After hours, residents can email questions to GC-License-Revenue@gwinnettcounty.com.
To report violations of the order, email ReportViolation@gwinnettcounty.com.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been 109 emailed complaints about businesses that were violating the county’s order, said Joe Sorenson, a Gwinnett County spokesperson. Sorenson said more reports came in by phone, but the numbers were not documented. He did not know how many of the complaints were valid or what actions the county had taken in response to them.
While Gwinnett’s stay-at-home order went into effect this past weekend, there are allowances for picking up food or medicine, exercising or performing essential job duties. Sorenson said the intent of the order is to stop large gatherings, which continued happening after steps were taken to convince people to stay home voluntarily.
As such, he said, officers or code enforcement representatives won’t stop people who are driving around the county to ask them why they’re out. But nail salons that remain open, or other businesses defying the order, could be forced to close.
And Brian Whiteside, the county's solicitor general, said he intends to prosecute those that are found to have violated the order. The punishment is up to 60 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
So far, no one has been charged with violating the ordinance.
While the county coordinated with each of its 16 cities, the end dates of their orders and other details differ depending on the jurisdiction. Cities may have stricter measures to make sure residents comply. Check with each city for specific questions about their ordinances.
Sorenson said the county isn’t trying to police people’s behavior as much as keep residents away from others for the duration of the crisis. The FAQ says the county is “emphasizing information and education over heavy-handed enforcement.”
But new orders and clarifications to old ones have been coming out at a rapid pace. It’s possible that enforcement actions could become more extreme.
“All of this is subject to change,” he said.
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