Georgia reported more than 4,000 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, according to state data.
The state health department reported 4,293 new cases and 54 new deaths in the past 24 hours, with a total of 175,052 cases and 3,563 deaths statewide.
The new cases reported Tuesday were an increase from the nearly 2,900 new cases the state had reported the previous day, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Case reports are often delayed on weekends, which could be one reason why Tuesday’s single-day gain was higher than previous days.
Georgia’s surge in COVID-19 cases comes amid a legal battle between the Republican Governor of Georgia and the Mayor of Atlanta over an order requiring public face masks.
Governor Brian Kemp is suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) and Atlanta officials for the local mandate in facial masks.
Kemp issued an order earlier this month that prohibits towns from issuing coverage mandates, as did Republican and Democratic governors across the country. Despite his rejection of mandates that cover his face, Kemp has asked residents to “commit” to wearing face masks.
A governor spokesman told The Hill Tuesday morning that the governor withdrew a request for an emergency hearing on the lawsuit because he was encouraged by Bottoms’ recent decision to impose restrictions on restaurants on a voluntary basis. The governor’s office, however, did not withdraw the lawsuit.
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