Governor Kemp Signs New COVID-19 Executive Orders Wednesday

Governor Brian Kemp today signed three Executive Orders relating to COVID-19 in Georgia. The first, Executive Order 03.31.21.01, extends the Public Health State of Emergency through April 30, 2021. The second, Executive Order 03.31.21.02, extends the current COVID-19 guidance in Georgia until April 7 with an added provision allowing state agency employees to get a COVID vaccine without using sick leave or annual leave. The third order, Executive Order 03.31.21.03, will become effective on April 8 and will roll back many of the current COVID-19 restrictions in place.

The Governor’s Executive Orders are available to read here. More details on all three Executive Orders are below:

Executive Order 03.31.21.01

▪Extends Georgia’s Public Health State of Emergency through April 30, 2021

Executive Order 03.31.21.02

▪Extends current COVID-19 guidance through April 7, 2021

▪Provides a mechanism for allowing state agency employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine without using sick leave or annual leave

Executive Order 03.31.21.03

▪Will become effective April 8 through April 30, 2021

▪Eliminates the Gatherings ban

▪Eliminates Shelter-in-Place requirements

▪Removes the critical infrastructure distinction and collapses all organization suggested measures into one main list, with a small number of additional industry-specific requirements remaining

▪Reduces any remaining distance requirements (i.e. distance between parties at restaurants, bars, and movie theaters, and between patrons of group fitness classes)

▪Eliminates the ability of law enforcement to close an organization for failure to comply with the Executive Order provisions