GA Coronavirus: Cobb County Orders Shelter-In-Place

MARRIETA, GA — Cobb County will be under a shelter-in-place order starting noon on Wednesday until April 15. County Chairman Mike Boyce declared the state of emergency Tuesday night after a special commissioners meeting to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Similar orders are in place across the country, including a stay at home order in Atlanta that was issued earlier in the week. For Cobb County, the order includes:

• A ban on indoor and outdoor public gatherings of more than 10 people.
• Closing all public parks and recreation centers.
• Closing all dine-in services, though delivery and takeout may continue.
• Non-essential businesses can operate no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than 9 p.m.
• All open essential businesses must work to restrict in-person contact, including maintaining a 6-foot distance between people inside the location.

The Cobb and Douglas Board of Public Health can shut down organizations that don't comply with the order.

“This is unprecedented times for the nation, state and Cobb County,” Boyce said in a statement. “We are taking the necessary steps as recommended by public health experts to ensure that the county is prepared and responding to this virus, and this order helps us do that.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there are 90 cases of COVID-19 in Cobb County as of Tuesday night. The county has also had two deaths from the virus.

If public health officials don't feel the declaration is slowing the spread, it may be revised. The declaration also allows the county to prioritize response resources and coordinate with other government entities easier.

To read the full declaration visit Cobb County’s COVID-19 page on cobbcounty.org.