Georgia's Governor Issues Order Rescinding Local Mask Mandates
Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
We ran the numbers: There are 1592 news articles covering this topic. 66% (1053) are left leaning, 27% (425) center, 7% (114) right leaning.
On Wednesday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is overruling local government mandates requiring people to wear masks in public. While left-leaning articles highlight that Kemp sued Atlanta from enforcing coronavirus-related mandates, right-leaning articles highlight that cities in Georgia began defying Kemp’s order.
The Washington Post highlights that on Thursday, Kemp sued to stop Atlanta from enforcing coronavirus-related mandates, including its mandate to wear a face mask in public. Russell Edwards, the Democratic mayor pro tempore in Athens, Ga., called on the governor to resign.
NPR published a centrist article reporting that Kemp extended the state’s COVID-19 restrictions but called the measure to require wearing a mask in public “a bridge too far.” Kemp’s new order requires people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 to shelter in place and requires restaurants and other businesses to follow social distancing precautions.
A right-leaning article by Fox News highlights that Savannah Mayor Van Johnson was the first local official to defy Kemp and order masks, with cities like Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta following suit. Kemp’s new set of rules specify that no local action on the city and county level can require the use of face coverings.
From the left
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sues Atlanta over mask requirement as coronavirus surges in the state
Washington Post