Recently, Georgia has become the latest state to issue a shelter in place order to all citizens. So, what does that mean for you?
Basically…
Stay home if possible and when going out stay six feet apart from others. Essential businesses remain open and all essential workers are still permitted to work.
What did the order close?
The state issued a fact sheet that noted clearly which businesses must close:
- Bars and nightclubs
- Dine-in restaurants (curbside, delivery, and take out all remain operational)
- Night clubs
- All gyms and/or fitness centers
- Bowling alleys
- Theaters and live performance venues
- Amusement parks
- Estheticians (waxing, threading, eyelash extension, and cosmetic treatments)
- Hair designers, barbershops, beauty shops, and salons
- Body art studios (tattoo parlors)
- Schools for cosmetology, hair design, barbering, esthetics, and nail care
- Licensed massage therapists
You can leave the house…
- For a walk/run/bike/hike/and any outdoor activity so long as you stay six feet away from all others at all times.
- To go to grocery stores, pharmacies, and hardware stores.
- To visit a healthcare provider.
- To care for a relative that is living in another household.
- To work so long as you work for essential business and are an essential employee.
- To get supplies to help you work from home.
- To purchase a firearm or ammunition.
- To evacuate your home in the event of an emergency.
- T0 go to the laundromat or dry cleaner.
- To go to the post office.
- To go to the liquor store.
What can’t I do?
- Go to the gym.
- Dine-in at a restaurant.
- Visit others for non-essential reasons.
- Go to a night club/bar.
- Go to an esthetician, salon, barber, or massage parlor.
- Go shopping at the mall or other nonessential retail shops.
- Go to a bowling alley, arcade, movie theater, or other entertainment venues.
What else should I know?
- Home deliveries should not involve person to person contact.
- Nursing homes, inpatient hospice, and senior care facilities are not to have visitors unless they are providing a medical or otherwise essential service, dropping off supplies, providing essential support, or “end-of-life circumstances.”
- Violating the order is a misdemeanor offense. Officers are to issue a notice before a citation or arrest. As of now, only state law enforcement can enforce the law.
While the term “shelter in place” might sound scary and restrictive there is actually still a lot that we can do during this time. However, if you go out for any reason essential or not please remember to keep to the guidelines issued by the CDC and our government. The fight to beat COVID-19 relies on all of us doing our parts. It is now recommended by the CDC that all citizens wear non-medical cloth masks when in public. So, practice the guidelines including social distancing, stay safe, and hang in there. This will be over soon enough.
