DPG Responds To Kemp’s Dangerous Reopening of Georgia

ATLANTA – Today, following reports that Brian Kemp will lift Georgia’s shelter in place order after over 1,000 Georgians have died from the coronavirus,  and as the virus continues to spread, Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams released the following statement: 

“Against the advice of public health experts, and against the will of the majority of Georgians, Brian Kemp is playing a dangerous game by ending Georgia’s shelter in place order before it is safe. It is reckless and irresponsible for Kemp to use Georgians as the guinea pigs in a public health experiment that will go wrong. Today’s decision will have consequences — for our overworked health systems, for our struggling essential workers, and for our lives.”  

Kemp was one of the last governors to enact shelter in place restrictions, only doing so after admitting he didn’t understand basic facts about the coronavirus. Earlier this week, his administration admitted that Georgia has failed to meet federal guidelines for reopening the state, after reopening bowling alleys and hair salons well before the data suggests a lasting decline in COVID-19 cases. 

COVID-19 has ravaged communities across the state, particularly in southwest Georgia, which has had some of the highest coronavirus rates in the country. The virus is taking a disproportionate toll on black Georgians — a recent study shows that 80% of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Georgia were African American. 

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