Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is doing her best to navigate the concerns of the South’s largest city in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic. 

On late Monday, she tweeted that she was closing down much of the city while still allowing essential services to carry on. her executive order came on the heels of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s similar order only affecting the “medically fragile.”

“Thank you @BrianKempGA for the updated state guidelines,” Lance Bottoms wrote. “Based upon our density & specific needs/concerns in Atlanta, I’ve signed a 14 day Stay at Home Order. As of now, this does not include essential businesses, parks,@AtlantaBeltLine & restaurants serving takeout.”

She says one of the city’s most popular landmarks has been identified by health officials as a place that needs to close down to stem the virus.

Coronavirus Pandemic: Will Atlanta Close The Beltline?

State and federal health officials have advised the public to practice “social distancing,” which includes staying at least 4 to 6 feet away from the next person.

Lance Bottoms says rather than shut down the Beltline, she wants Atlantans to use common sense while taking the current health advice to heart.

Here’s what she tweeted:

“Our public health partners haven’t recommended closure. However, while enjoying our parks & the trail, please exercise social distancing & remain at least 6ft apart. A good time to explore less congested portions of the trail.”

Lance Bottoms has taken a number of strong steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Atlanta, including:

  • A two-week telework policy for City of Atlanta workers
  • A moratorium on water cutoffs for people in the city
  • A school system shutdown

“We just want to be as careful as possible,” she told NBC News.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force has recommended that people limit gatherings to 10 or less amid the pandemic.

Separately, after Kemp issued a stay-at-home order for the “medically fragile,” many people tweeted Lance Bottoms to get him to issue the order state-wide.

Many Republican governors are taking cues from the Administration and beginning to signal eases to the stay-at-home orders so that the economy can get back up and running.

White House: Pandemic Could Last Deep Into Summer

President Trump originally said the outbreak could stretch into “July, August” and well into the summer, dampening plans for millions of people looking forward to events.

He was also asked whether a national quarantine was something officials were considering, and he said, that regionally this was a thought, but not for the whole country.

More recently, Trump has posited that the lockdown should go on for “weeks” and not “months.” 

Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. Here are some helpful links:

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