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DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond issues shelter-in-place order to curb spread of COVID-19

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DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond issues shelter-in-place order to curb spread of COVID-19

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DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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This story has been updated. 

DeKalb County – DeKalb County will be under a shelter-in-place order, effective at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.

Here’s the full announcement from the CEO’s office:

Today, March 27, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond updated the county’s state of emergency with a shelter-in-place order for DeKalb County in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

The order is effective Saturday, March 28, 2020, at 9 p.m. until further notice.

The shelter in place applies to all individuals living in DeKalb County. According to the order, “individuals are permitted to leave their places of residence only to provide or receive certain essential services or engage in certain essential activities and work for essential businesses and essential governmental functions.”

“We are trying to save lives from the serious COVID-19 public health threat,” CEO Thurmond said.

The order is effective until further notice.

Under the order, essential activities are defined as:

– Activities or tasks essential to an individual or family member’s health and safety (including pets)

– Obtaining necessary services and supplies for themselves, their family or household or to deliver those services or supplies to others

– Engaging in outdoor activity, provided the individuals remain at least six feet from each other;

– Performing work for essential businesses or to obtain products or services from essential businesses, including engaging in minimum basic operations

– Caring for a person who is medically fragile or family member or pet in another household

– Engaging in essential governmental functions, which are any and all services needed to ensure the continuing operation of any governmental agency. Persons who are performing or accessing essential governmental functions are exempt from this order

Essential businesses are defined as:

– All types of healthcare operations, including but not limited to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, doctor’s offices, research and laboratory operation; but gyms and fitness centers are not considered health care operations

– Home-based care for seniors, adults and children

– Veterinary operations

– Federal, state, county and municipal services

– Utilities (gas, electricity, phone, cable)

– Banks and credit unions

– Essential Infrastructure–telecommunications, airports, airlines, transportation (buses, MARTA, Lyft, Uber, taxis)

– Delivery services (businesses that deliver or ship foods or goods to homes or businesses)

– Essential manufacturing/construction to maintain public health,  safety and welfare

– Businesses selling food

– Businesses that supply products needed for people to work at home

– Pharmacies

– Professional services such as legal, accounting and real estate when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities

– Businesses that perform repair work for businesses and homes

– Trash and recycling collection, processing, and disposal

– Mail and shipping services

– Lodging businesses (For example, hotels, motels and conference centers)

– Laundromats/dry cleaning

– Janitorial Services (Building/Residential cleaning and maintenance)

– Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations

– Auto repair and gas stations

– Warehouse/distribution and fulfillment

– Funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries

– Storage for essential businesses

– Animal shelters or animal care or management and crematories

– Bike shops and news media

– Logistical and tech support

– Cafeterias located within medical, industrial, government or other such production facilities that are performing essential functions that are necessary to promote health, welfare and vital resources in DeKalb County. These facilities are strongly encouraged to stagger meal times, limit use as much as feasible to achieve physical distancing and to thoroughly follow CDC protocols of cleaning

– Childcare facilities and eldercare facilities

– Any service that is deemed by the Chief Executive Officer to be essential for the protection of public health, safety and welfare

Thurmond already has ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms and implemented a curfew beginning at 9 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m.

Decatur and Avondale Estates also have issued shelter-in-place orders.

To see a copy of the order, click here.

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