How concerned are Georgians about the Coronavirus? Based on one mall in Atlanta, the answer would appear to be not at all.
Outside a Jimmy Jazz shoe store at Greenbriar Mall stood a large gathering of people. While mostly wearing masks, they seemed to have no interest in any form of social distancing. After all, the new Air Jordan 5s are being released.
While now might not seem like the appropriate time to release a product that could cause a mass gathering, that doesn’t appear to have stopped Nike. And judging by the size of the crowd, they may be right in purely economic terms.
Georgia has decided to reopen despite an increase in Covid-19 deaths, and a record–setting daily death toll nationally. Covid-19 cases nationally stand at 1,159,304 with the current U.S. death toll at 67,985 people, according the the United States Coronavirus (Covid-19) Tracker.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there have been 28, 602 cases statewide and 1,177 deaths. Atlanta and the surrounding counties have been hardest hit with the top five counties, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Hall and Fulton comprising the 10, 580 cases and 350 deaths reported in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Since the order to shelter-at-home was cancelled on Thursday, April 30th, cases in Georgia have risen by over 2000; at least 24 more people have succumbed to the illness.
GOP Governor Brian Kemp was responsible for the lifting of the shelter-at-home order. At one point Governor Kemp claimed to be unaware that asymptomatic people could be spreading the virus, despite easily accessible news and evidence to the contrary; and despite the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) being located in Atlanta.
