Health official orders Fulton County residents to shelter in place

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An order posted to the Fulton County Board of Health website says “all residents of Fulton County are commanded to stay at their place of residence” with exceptions.

The county holds 1 million people, including the city of Atlanta.

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People who violate the order could face fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail per offense.

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The following essential purposes are still protected:

• Activities related to the health of you, a family member or a pet
• Activities to get services and supplies
• Outdoor activity, as long as people are six feet apart, which is out of the reach of droplets that could carry the virus
• Work for essential businesses
• Care for someone medically fragile
• Activity for essential government function

The order was signed by Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, interim director of the Fulton health, on Tuesday and is effective immediately.

People who are homeless are exempt for punishment.

“It is my hope that this Administrative Order enhances our efforts to keep Fulton County residents safe, and assists in flattening the COVID-19 curve,” Dr. Ford said.

The administrative order also:

• Strongly encourages individuals who are medically fragile, in that they are at an increased risk for contracting COVID-19, and people who are sick to stay in their residence to the extent possible except as necessary to seek medical care.
• Mandates any person showing symptoms recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as indicators of COVID-19 from entering public buildings, restaurants, shops, public transportation facilities and all other areas where the public enters or exists.
• Prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit, except for the limited purposes as expressly permitted herein.
• County residents are encouraged to take this Administrative Order seriously. Violations of this Order shall constitute a misdemeanor and subject the violator to penalties and fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail per offense.

READ MORE HERE.

Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report

Gov. Kemp to sign statewide shelter-in-place order on Thursday The order will take effect on Friday and will last through April 13.

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