Georgia’s Republican governor orders cities to stop requiring masks

Enlarge / Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp during a "Wear A Mask" tour stop in Dalton, Georgia, on Thursday, July 2, 2020. (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp yesterday issued an executive order that overturns local mask-wearing requirements.

Kemp's executive order says that "any state, county, or municipal law, order, ordinance, rule, or regulation that requires persons to wear face coverings, masks, face shields, or any other Personal Protective Equipment while in places of public accommodation or on public property are suspended to the extent that they are more restrictive than this Executive Order."

Kemp, a Republican, issued the order despite evidence that masks are an effective tool in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing masks is one of several important steps people can take to limit the spread of coronavirus, among others, such as hand-washing and social distancing. Kemp acknowledges that, as his executive order says, "all residents and visitors of the State of Georgia are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings as practicable while outside their homes or place of residence, except when eating, drinking, or exercising outdoors." Kemp also went on a tour of various cities to encourage mask wearing, but he has said, "we don't need a government mandate to do the right thing."

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