Well, April Fools to anyone who thought we were going back to school. Just hours ago Governor Kemp announced the closing of all schools for the rest of the semester, along with a shelter-in-place order going into effect this Friday.

Schools will continue with virtual learning for the rest of the year, and everything will stay as it has been for the past few weeks. School activities such as prom have already been rescheduled with the possibility of cancellation.

The shelter in place states that no one is allowed to leave their house unless for an essential item: going to the grocery store or the doctor, or traveling to an essential job. According to Kemp, not enough people listened to the original importance of the virus and continued business as usual. Therefore, he had to take more extreme measures. 

Those who violate the shelter-in-place order can be fined for going out without it being for an essential need. This will constitute a misdemeanor and may include a $1000 fine and up to 12 months jail time per offense. 

To date, there have been over 4,600 reported cases of coronavirus in Georgia and 140 deaths. Hospitals are estimated to reach peak capacity in exactly 3 weeks. 

“I want to encourage my fellow Georgians to hang in there,” Kemp said. “I know you’re tired of this but we must first overcome the obstacles in our path.”

The sooner we can flatten the curve, the sooner we will be back to normal. Keep practicing good health and hygiene, and stay at home. 

Click here to watch the full conference with Governor Kemp.