This story has been updated. 

Atlanta, GA – The state of Georgia as of July 16 has 131,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,104 related deaths.

The Center for Public Integrity published a story on July 16 saying that a White House document lists Georgia as one of 18 states in coronavirus ‘red zone’ that should adopt stricter measures to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Several cities, including Atlanta, Avondale Estates and Decatur, have adopted ordinances requiring mask use. But on July 16, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta over the city’s mask requirement, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The litigation comes a day after Kemp issued an executive order that prohibited cities from requiring people to wear face masks to curb the spread of the virus.

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“This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times,” said Kemp in a statement, according to the AJC. “These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth.”

Atlanta INtown reported that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was not concerned by the threat of litigation over the city’s measures to fight the virus. The story was published before the news of Kemp’s lawsuit.

“I am not concerned about the state suing the city,” Bottoms said, according to Atlanta INtown. “As [poet] Audre Lorde said, ‘I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.’ I’ll put the city’s policies up against any of the state’s. I believe the mask policy is defensible and it stands.”

Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett has not returned messages seeking comment about Kemp’s executive order.

Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore said, “On Monday, July 13th, 2020, the Board voted to approve a mandatory mask resolution.  We were trying to do what we could to best protect our citizens and visitors while maintaining commerce. We felt mandatory masking was an effective and practical solution to both concerns. We will continue to strongly encourage everyone to wear a mask when in public.”

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The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which has been a model cited by public health experts, projects Georgia will see 4,736 COVID-19 deaths by Nov. 1. That number is lower than what IHME predicted in June, when IHME projected the state would see 6,614 deaths projected by Oct. 1. The IHME model projects that if Georgia adopted a universal mask mandate, it would save about 1,000 lives.

The governor also plans to deliver an update on the state’s steps to fight the virus on Friday morning, July 17, at 8 a.m. In the past, Kemp has used these briefings to make major announcements about COVID-19 policy decisions, as he did in April when he announced that many businesses shuttered because of the pandemic could reopen. Kemp made the announcement on April 20. Here is the daily case and death count since April 27:

Wednesday, July 15 — 127,834 cases, 3,091 deaths

Tuesday, July 14 — 123,963 cases, 3,054 deaths

Monday, July 13 — 120,569 cases, 3,026 deaths

Sunday, July 12 — 116,926 cases, 3,001 deaths

Saturday, July 11 — 114,401 cases, 2,996 deaths

Friday, July 10 — 111,211 cases, 2,965 deaths

Thursday, July 9 — 106,727 cases, 2,930 deaths

Wednesday, July 8 — 103,890 cases, 2,922 deaths

Tuesday, July 7 — 100,470 cases, 2,899 deaths

Monday, July 6 — 97,064 cases, 2,878 deaths

Sunday, July 5 — 95,516 cases, 2,860 deaths

Saturday, July 4 — 93,319 cases, 2,857 deaths

Friday, July 3 — 90,493 cases, 2,856 deaths

Thursday, July 2 — 87,709 cases, 2,849 deaths

Wednesday, July 1 — 84,237 cases, 2,827 deaths

Tuesday, June 30 — 81,291 cases, 2,805 deaths

Monday, June 29 — 79,417 cases, 2,784 deaths

Sunday, June 28 — 77,210 cases, 2,778 deaths

Saturday, June 27 — 74,985 cases, 2,776 deaths

Friday, June 26 — 72,995 cases, 2,770 deaths

Thursday, June 25 — 71,095 cases, 2,745 deaths

Wednesday, June 24 — 69,381 cases, 2,698 deaths

Tuesday, June 23 — 67,675 cases, 2,687 deaths

Monday, June 22 — 65,928 cases, 2,648 deaths

Sunday, June 21 — 64,701 cases, 2,643 deaths

Saturday, June 20 — 63,809 cases, 2,642 deaths

Friday, June 19 — 62,009 cases, 2,636 deaths

Thursday, June 18 — 60,912 cases, 2,605 deaths

Wednesday, June 17 — 60,030 cases, 2,575 deaths

Tuesday, June 16 — 59,078 cases, 2,529 deaths

Monday, June 15 — 58,414 cases, 2,494 deaths

Sunday, June 14 — 57,681 cases, 2,451 deaths

Saturday, June 13 — 56,801 cases, 2,446 deaths

Friday, June 12 — 55,783 cases, 2,418 deaths

Thursday, June 11 — 54,973 cases, 2,375 deaths

Wednesday, June 10 — 53,980 cases, 2,329 deaths

Tuesday, June 9 — 53,249 cases, 2,285 deaths

Monday, June 8 — 52,497 cases, 2,208 deaths

Sunday, June 7 — 51,898 cases, 2,180 deaths

Saturday, June 6 — 51,359 cases, 2,178 deaths

Friday, June 5 — 50,621 cases, 2,174 deaths

Thursday, June 4 — 49,847 cases, 2,147 deaths

Wednesday, June 3 — 48,894 cases, 2,123 deaths

Tuesday, June 2 — 48,207, 2,102 deaths

Monday, June 1 — 47,618 cases, 2,074 deaths

Sunday, May 31 — 47,063 cases, 2,053 deaths

Saturday, May 30 — 46,286 cases, 2,003 deaths

Friday, May 29 — 45,670 cases, 1,974 deaths

Thursday, May 28 — 45,070 cases, 1,962 deaths

Wednesday, May 27 — 44,421 cases, 1,907 deaths

Tuesday, May 26 — 43,730 cases, 1,871 deaths

Monday, May 25 – 43,344 cases, 1,830 deaths

Sunday, May 24 – 42,838 cases, 1,824 deaths

Saturday, May 23 – 42,132 cases, 1,811 deaths

Friday, May 22 – 41,218 cases, 1,785 deaths

Thursday, May 21 – 40,405 cases, 1,754 deaths

Wednesday, May 20 – 39,647 cases, 1,687 deaths

Tuesday, May 19 – 38,721 cases, 1,664 deaths

Monday, May 18 – 38,081 cases, 1,642 deaths

Sunday, May 17 – 37,642 cases, 1,606 deaths

Saturday, May 16 – 37,147 cases, 1,592 deaths

Friday, May 15 – 36,681 cases, 1,557 deaths

Thursday, May 14 – 35,858 cases, 1,527 deaths

Wednesday, May 13 – 35,245 cases, 1,493 deaths

Tuesday, May 12 – 34,635 cases, 1,461 deaths

Monday, May 11 – 33,927 cases, 1,441 deaths

Sunday, May 10 – 33,454 cases, 1,405 deaths

Saturday, May 9 – 32,561 cases, 1,401 deaths

Friday, May 8 – 31,722 cases, 1,356 deaths

Thursday, May 7 – 31,309 cases, 1,336 deaths

Wednesday, May 6 — 30,602 cases, 1,306 deaths

Tuesday, May 5 – 29,598 cases, 1,211 deaths

Monday, May 4 – 29,177 cases, 1,211 deaths

Sunday, May 3 – 28,602 cases, 1,177 deaths

Saturday, May 2 – 28,304 cases, 1,173 deaths

Friday, May 1 – 27,023 cases, 1,140 deaths

Thursday, April 30 – 26,033 cases, 1,107 deaths

Wednesday, April 29 – 25,274 cases, 1,052 deaths

Tuesday, April 28 – 24,606 cases, 1,025 deaths

Monday, April 27 – 23,773 cases, 942 deaths

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