ATLANTA (AP) — The mayors of some of Georgia’s largest cities are slamming Gov. Brian Kemp’s new order that aims to limit local efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
In an open letter on Friday, the mayors of Atlanta, Savannah, Athens-Clarke County and Augusta-Richmond County suggested the Republican governor was putting politics above public health.
The four Democrats also defended masks as necessary during the state's latest COVID surge. Kemp signed an executive order Thursday that says cities cannot require businesses and sports teams to enforce local pandemic restrictions.
The move came amid an explosion in COVID cases fueled by the delta variant among those who are unvaccinated.
