Atlanta Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms has issued an executive requiring all residents to wear a mask while indoors in a public place — even if they have been vaccinated.
The mask mandate follows a recent spike in Covid-19 numbers across the state and new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that individuals should wear a mask indoors in public if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission of the virus — even if they have been vaccinated.
Citizens who have already contracted the virus have also been advised to go ahead still and receive the vaccination.
“Public health experts overwhelmingly agree, and data has proved, that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this deadly virus,” Bottoms said in a statement per AJC.
“As COVID-19 rates increase, we must remain vigilant, wear a mask, follow CDC guidelines and other measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”
When it comes to the pandemic, Bottoms has preferred a more cautious approach. However, last year, Gov. Brian Kemp went to court to block a previous mask mandate issued by the mayor. In August, he dropped his lawsuit and allowed some local governments who met a coronavirus “threshold” to impose the restrictions.
She accused Kemp of attempting to silence her.
“In addition to being sued over a mask mandate and voluntary advisory guidelines on COVID-19, @GovKemp has asked for an emergency injunction to “restrain” me from issuing press statements and speaking to the press. Far more have sacrificed too much more for me to be silent,” Mayor Bottoms tweeted at the time.
The tweet came just days after Kemp issued an executive order that banned cities and counties from ordering people to wear masks in public places.
During an interview with “Face The Nation,” the mayor called Kemp’s actions “bizarre.”
“The governor has done many things as of late and said many things as of late that, quite frankly, are simply bizarre,” Bottoms said. “He filed a 124-plus-page lawsuit against me this week calling for an emergency injunction to stop me from speaking about his orders. If the governor of this state had his way, I would not be allowed to speak with you today. And so this blame game is most unusual.”
