“Current mitigation efforts have not had sufficient effect,” the report said.
Some of the recommendations are not new, and were included in a July 26 report obtained by the New York Times. But the urgency of the language in the report was new.
Below are some of the top recommendations from the August 9 report and how Georgia’s current policies align or not.:
No. 1, Improvements to long-term care homes: Provide access to rapid tests at nursing homes, assisted living and long-term care homes. Ensure universal social distance and use of face mask at amenities. Carry out infections for infection control in nursing homes with more than three cases in three weeks. This guidance is more detailed than past guidance of the White House Task Force.
Georgia policy: All facilities do not have access to rapid testing. Social distance is obligatory of all Georgians, but not maintained; mask use is required. Georgia was one of the last states to complete required investigations for infection control by July 31st. The state Department of Community Health said it is conducting studies that will meet if this standard for nursing homes will be met.
When asked what the state did to comply with White House recommendations, Cody Hall, a Kemp spokesman who provided top-notch federal supplies to nursing homes to conduct rapid tests, said “local and district offices for ‘Public health continues to work with long-term care facilities in their communities to provide testing. Our current executive order also provides enhanced protections for these facilities and both DCH and CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) have provided detailed guidance on how to provide’. t can best spread COVID-19. “
08/10/2020 – College Park, Georgia – Gov. Brian Kemp listens as U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams speaks during a press conference at an urgent COVID-19 test clinic at a Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport paid parking facility in College Park, Monday, August 10, 2020. (ALYSSA POINTER / ALYSSA. [email protected])
Credit: [email protected]
Credit: [email protected]
Hall said the state has provided mist machines and other supplies for infection control for the long-term care centers that want to continue the infection control mission carried out by the Georgia National Guard in the early days of the pandemic.
And House Bill 987, a bill that was supported and signed by the governor, Hall said, “implemented further oversight measures and required baseline testing for long-term care facilities.”
Hall said new guidance in collaboration with industry, state and federal governments is pending.
Nr. 2, Mask mandate: “Services for current mitigation do not have sufficient impact and (we) would strongly recommend a statewide mask mandate.”
This language was stronger than in the previous White House report of July 26, which recommended that officials in Georgia “mandate the use of masks in all current and evolving hot spots – optimally a statewide mandate.”
Georgia policy: Although Kemp has encouraged Georgians to wear masks, Georgia is one of 16 states without some form of statewide mask mandate. Kemp has previously said he believes a statewide requirement is unnecessary and unpredictable.
Kemp’s emergency order, which expires on Saturday night, explicitly prevents cities from imposing mask mandates or implementing any measure more stringent or less restrictive than his.
On Thursday, Kemp withdrew a lawsuit challenging the city’s mask mandate and business restrictions, but officials said he had a new order by Saturday that would specify that local governments cannot order private companies to require masks. .
That changed on Friday when in a reversal the Kemp bureau said the governor would sign a new mandate allowing local governments to impose mask mandates on government property if those premises meet certain health metrics. The requirement could also apply to companies, if the companies agree. Authorities should also issue at least one warning before writing a citation, Kemp’s office said.
“Most importantly, this order will include very strong protections for business owners and private property,” said Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce.
“Specifically for companies, the owner will still be able to decide whether or not to have a face coverage requirement. If the owner decides to have a face coverage claim, the owner can decide who is maintaining it. ”
Nr. 3, Closing of certain locations: Close bars, nightclubs, entertainment venues and other establishments where social distance can not occur in red zone province.
Georgia policy: Each of these companies can trade, but with some restrictions. Locations should provide six feet of social distance. Bars can have 35% of the fire safety capacity of more than 50 people, whichever is greater.
No. 4, reduce indoor dining: Indoor dining limited to under 25% occupancy; expand outside food.
Georgia policy: The state no longer requires an occupancy limit other than that dinners must be six feet apart.
No. 5, Smaller crowd: Limit social gatherings to 10 or fewer people.
Georgia policy: For now, Georgia allows social gatherings of up to 50 people, if it is social distance.
The White House task force also has recommendations for the state to scale up tests and traces of contacts.
On Friday, Kemp’s office and Georgia DPH released some new data showing some improving trends, including small reductions in weekly business counts. Test positivity rates are declining, but experts say Georgia is not testing enough yet. The number of people currently in hospital has also decreased since a peak on 30 July.
The report noted delays in new business rates in Atlanta, although it also warned of hot spots in rural central, eastern and southern Georgia.
The report highlighted for the first time the numbers of specific outbreaks in certain settings.
From August 6 through Wednesday, the state said it identified 110 outbreaks, including in long-term facilities (23), schools and athletics teams for schools (14), offices and workplaces (14), production facilities (13), prisons and prisons (13), churches (8) and restaurants (4).
The state also documented outbreaks in hospitals and outpatient medical facilities, day care facilities and groceries. None of the sites were identified, and DPH refused a request to release them.
Staff writer Greg Bluestein contributed to this report.
