As the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to surge, Savannah is reinstating it’s mask mandate in an effort to get ahead of the growing number of cases. Mayor Van Johnson made the announcement during his weekly press conference on Wednesday morning.
Johnson pulled the mandate in November, but said the reinstatement comes at the advice of the city's medical advisory team.
"Statewide new case numbers are increasing significantly, primarily in the northern metro areas. We have seen an increase over the past couple of weeks locally, but not crazy increases, like the rest of the country yet," he said.
Johnson said the city can enforce the mandate in city-owned buildings, but was also asking the community to do the right thing and mask up.
“People can do what they want to do, but understand there is a consequence for that, so are we ticketing people? Probably not, but we also recognize what increased numbers mean for our community,” he said.
The city's first mandate, which was announced in July 2020, required face coverings in public spaces and commercial establishments and authorized authorities to issue fines up to $500 for noncompliance.
Six fines were issued over the life of the initial mandate, which expired in June 2021. The city replaced the mandate with a mask advisory, with face coverings and entry protocols still required in city buildings.
Chatham County's seven day rolling average was 30.4 on Tuesday with the community transmission index, which reflects the number of newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 residents, hitting 132. There were 52 new cases reported on Tuesday.
On Aug. 20, the rolling average was 289.4 and the transmission index was reported at 1270. Both numbers dipped during the following weeks, with the average hitting 15.3 on Nov. 22 and the index at 82.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates omicron accounts for more than 73% of new COVID cases in the United States. The variant is believed to be about four times as contagious as the delta variant.
Johnson also continued to encourage residents to get vaccinated and take the booster shot as soon as they're eligible.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 58% of Chatham County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 53% are fully vaccinated.
“Prevention is our best treatment. Our methods remain the same: vaccination, boosters, wear a mask, watch your distance, wash your hands, exercise caution and common sense. Avoid crowds, especially activities that involve sharing indoor air with others,” he said.
“We know this is the week of Christmas. This is the time where people get together and I am asking, I am pleading with our citizens, make sure if you're getting together with folks, you're getting with folks that are vaccinated and in all cases, go ahead and wear the mask. You don't want this Christmas to be your last Christmas.”
Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at knussbaum@savannahnow.com. Twitter: KnussSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: City of Savannah reinstates mask mandate for holiday season as omicron cases increase
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