BIOLAB FIRE: Rockdale County extends nightly shelter-in-place order through the weekend

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Rockdale County is extending its nightly shelter-in-place order for residents across the county.

The Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency is telling all residents to stay in their homes from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. through the weekend.

They say the shelter-in-place order will end at 7 a.m. on Monday.

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County offices, including the court and other government facilities, that have been closed all week are expected to reopen to the public on Monday morning.

Earlier this week, the county said the air and water quality had been deemed safe.

County officials said that chlorines, chloramine and chlorine compounds were released into the air from the fire that destroyed the factory early Sunday morning.

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Dr. Lynn Paxton, interim health director for the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale health district, said those chemicals can cause irritation of the skin and the mucus membranes, including the eyes and nasal passages and the respiratory system.

She had these recommendations for people being impacted by the plume:

• Stay indoors with closed windows and doors.
• Turn off any HVAC system that can pull in outdoor air.
• If you have an HVAC system that recirculates air, it is OK to leave on.

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