Atlanta mayor plans to sign executive order requiring masks in city

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) is set to sign an order Wednesday mandating the use of masks or face coverings in the city amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, breaking with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), whose administration has not required the precaution. 

“I specifically asked our governor about allowing Atlanta to go forward with mandating masks in our city. He refused,” Bottoms told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday. “Other cities have taken the approach that they are going to defy the governor’s executive order, and Savannah has done it, some other cities have done it, and Atlanta is going to do it today.” 

“The fact of the matter is that COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on our city, specifically black and brown communities with higher death rates, and we will never be able to reopen our schools and our economy if we don’t take some responsibility for what we can do as leaders to make sure people aren’t exposed to this virus,” Bottoms continued.

Last week, Savannah, Ga., became the first city in the state to require that people wear masks in public. Other Georgia cities have followed the order requiring face coverings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Kemp on Tuesday called on Georgia mayors and county commissioners to participate in a statewide push for residents to voluntarily wear masks.

“We don’t need a mandate to have Georgians do the right thing, but we do need to build strong, public support,” Kemp told mayors, remarks released by his office, The Associated Press reported.

Georgia has reported at least 93,707 cases of coronavirus and 2,850 fatalities, according to The New York Times.

Bottoms announced Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing no symptoms.  

The Atlanta mayor also criticized Kemp earlier this week after he issued an executive order on Monday deploying state national guard troops in the city over an escalation of violence, as protests continue over the deaths of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and other Black Americans. 

“The irony of that is that I asked Governor Kemp to allow us to mandate masks in Atlanta and he said no,” Bottoms told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “But he has called in the National Guard without asking if we needed the National Guard.”

Kemp said that the declaration was in response to “weeks of dramatically increased violent crime and property destruction” in Atlanta and gunfire over Independence Day weekend that led to five confirmed deaths, including 8-year-old Secoriea Turner.