On Monday, April 20, 2020 Georgia suffered its highest daily death toll for the Covid-19 virus to date. On the same day Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order that rescinded his order of March 14. This recent order disregards measures to protect the public from the most dangerous infectious disease in 100 years. According to White House guidelines found at whitehouse.gov/openingamerica, the criteria to be satisfied before executing a phased comeback specify either a downward
trajectory of documented cases within a 14 day period, or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14 day period. The governor cited neither condition is his order and neither condition exists in Georgia to date. The governor further warned counties and cities not to impede his order.
Data posted daily on the Georgia Department of Health web site confirm that Covid-19 diagnoses are expanding. The undersigned collaboration of Georgia NAACP branches call upon the leaders of Georgia counties and cities to urge their citizens and businesses to continue to observe the
shelter-in-place, social distancing and disinfecting measures issued by
these counties and cities prior to the Governor’s March 14 order. His
order superseded their respective resolutions, ordinances and
directives. Local measures have likely saved lives and infectious
disease experts warn that returning to pre-Covid-19 practices too soon
could lead to a widening of the pandemic.
Data shows that black and other non-white Americans have a higher per
capita infection rate as well as higher resultant death rate. The
overall death rate in Georgia is about 4 % while the death rate of black
Covid-19 patients is more than 9%. We collectively demand more free
testing facilities, protective personal equipment (PPE), outreach
messaging and rigorous contact testing for the communities we serve and
proper tracking of citizens so that we can see a clear path to recovery.
We call upon our local political leaders to continue to work on behalf
of all Georgia citizens, and especially its most vulnerable citizens who
need and deserve reparative outreach and service. Free testing and
treatment must be a state initiative that is necessary because of
Georgia’s refusal of Medicaid expansion. We collectively demand a
withdrawal of Governor Brian Kemp’s April 20, 2020 executive order.
Georgia should maintain sheltering-in- place guidelines until data
otherwise indicate that it is safe to begin resuming daily activities
under recommendations commensurate with pandemic conditions. For now,
STAY AT HOME if possible and practical.
NAACP Atlanta – Richard Rose, President
Carroll County NAACP – James Stocks, President Clayton NAACP – Synamon
Baldwin, President Cobb County NAACP – Jeriene Grimes, President DeKalb
County NAACP – Teresa Hardy, President Gwinnett County NAACP – Penny
Poole, President
Henry County NAACP – Vivian Thomas, President Newton County NAACP – Gwen
Cattledge, President Rockdale County NAACP – Thomas Brantley, President
Troup County NAACP – Morris Tatum, President
West Metro NAACP – Joy Bates, President
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