Officials in Georgia have criticized Governor Brian Kemp’s decision to reopen beaches. The Republican has angered some state leaders by easing Coronavirus restrictions.
The Mayor of Tybee Island has been especially critical of Kemp’s move. Mayor Shirley Sessions closed the island’s beaches on 20 March.
“As the Pentagon ordered 100,000 body bags to store the corpses of Americans killed by the Coronavirus, Governor Brian Kemp dictated that Georgia beaches must reopen,” Sessions wrote on Saturday.
“And declared any decision makers who refused to follow these orders would face prison and/or fines.”
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“The health of our residents, staff and visitors are being put at risk and we will pursue legal avenues to overturn his reckless mandate,” she said.
“We are now in a position where we are pleading with the public and with our residents to adhere to the beach closing,” Sessions said on Friday.
Kemp had issued a stay-at-home order but on Thursday he ordered the beaches to reopen. The decision was met with fury and disbelief by many officials in the state.
Allen Booker, a Democratic county commissioner, called the move “stupid and crazy at the same time.”
A series of other officials throughout the state echoed Booker’s sentiments.
Kemp said on 2 April that he only just found out Coronavirus could spread without symptoms.
Kemp said this was ‘a revelation and a game changer.’
This information was widely available before the Governor realized it.
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Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
