Georgia
Small Business Association

Governor Brian Kemp (R) has issued executive orders that do the following:

• Appropriates $19,552,646 to cover costs associated with novel coronavirus disease 2019.
• Reduces restrictions for childcare learning centers and family child learning homes.
• Allows the use of private professional providers to conduct required plan reviews or inspections.
• Authorizes the use of real-time audio-visual communication technology to assist in notarizing real estate documents.
• Directs the Commissioner of Revenue to implement waivers related to Conservation Use Value Assessment and Forest Land Use Protection Act applications during the COVID-19 Public Health State of Emergency.
• Allows remote notarization.
• Transfers $32 million from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to cover costs associated with COVID-19.
• Re-opens gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, estheticians, hair designers, and persons licensed to practice massage therapy for minimum basic operations. All of these businesses must implement safety protocols including but not limited to screening and evaluating employees for symptoms, providing PPE as available; enhancing sanitation; prohibiting gatherings during work hours; implementing staggered shifts; enforcing social distancing; and more. The order also requires businesses to ban gatherings of 10 or more people. The order also clarifies that all sectors on the most up to date CISA list shall also be defined as critical infrastructure in Georgia. The order also gives the state authority to override any order of county boards of health, local health districts, and their officers.
• Allows restaurants to resume in-person dining services if certain protocols are met including limiting 10 patrons per 500sq feet for dine-in service; screening and evaluating workers who exhibit signs of illness; implementing staggered shifts; limit employee contact with other employees; frequent sanitation; removing self-service drink, condiment, utensil, tableware stations; and more. Businesses that are not essential can resume operations with similar social distancing protocols in place. Essential businesses, retail and wholesale grocery stores and other similar food establishments that have been allowed to remain open must implement these protocols now as well including providing PPE to employees as available. In addition, fitness centers, gyms, body art studios, massage therapy, estheticians, bowling alleys, and indoor cinemas may operate with specific safety protocols in place similar to the above.
• Extends routine inspection timelines by 120 days for food service establishments maintaining an A food grade.
• Renews the public health state of emergency until June 12.

Regulatory actions are being compiled. Please check back shortly.