Summary of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s Order Re-Opening Restaurants

Earlier this week, the Governor’s office announced that restaurants in Georgia could re-open as early as Monday (April 27) UNDER certain guidelines and protocols. The guidelines and protocols weren’t released at the time the announcement was made as the Governor’s office wanted to give time for the industry to weigh in. We have some clients who will be opening on Monday – particularly in jurisdictions that have not had many cases of coronavirus. Other clients are waiting until a later date. Last night (April 23), the Governor signed an Executive Order setting forth the guidelines to be followed by restaurants during this first phase of re-opening. A summary of these guidelines is provided below. Regardless of opening date, the Executive Order’s guidelines are a valuable tool to help guide restaurants on best practices for presenting the spread of infectious disease – particularly during times of community spread. I’ve included some of the basic provisions of the Order relating to Shelter in Place so that restaurants know what is being required of the general public. Please note, this is a summary and, as such, it includes additional commentary by me and may not be quoted verbatim. For a full copy of the Order, you can pull it here.