Coronavirus: Atlanta mayor urges residents to stay at home despite governor's plans to reopen state

'Listen to the health care professionals and use your common sense. This virus has not gone away'

The mayor of Atlanta is urging residents to continue to stay at home amidst the coronavirus pandemic, flying in the face of the state’s governors plans to begin relaxing isolation measures.

In an interview on MSNBC mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms encouraged people to use “common sense” and continue to stay at home amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Her recommendations go against Georgia's governor's plans to begin re-opening some of the state's businesses at the end of the week.

She noted that while her powers as mayor do not supersede Kemp’s as governor, she intended to use the “power of [her] voice” to urge people to continue isolating themselves where possible.

“I am using my voice to encourage people: Follow the data, look at the science, listen to the health care professionals and use your common sense. This virus has not gone away."

“I am asking people to please stay home,” the Atlanta mayor said.

Governor Brian Kemps recently announced plans to allow some businesses to reopen as soon as Friday, 24 April.

Businesses that will be granted permission to re-open, after being previously ordered to close to prevent the spread of coronavirus, include gyms, bowling alleys, barbers and salons.

“There’s nothing essential about going to a bowling alley during a pandemic,” mayor Bottoms argued.

“Simply because we have hospital beds available, doesn’t mean that we should work to fill them up,” she added.

The businesses will be only be allowed to resume operations as long as they adhere to strict social distancing requirements.

On Twitter, the governor said: “Due to favourable data & more testing, gyms, fitness centres, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, aestheticians, their respective schools & massage therapists can reopen Friday, April 24 with Minimum Basic Operations.”

Georgia is the first state to announce the reopening of whole business sectors during the outbreak, which has claimed the lives of more than 820,000 Americans.

The state currently has more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus causing the deaths of over 800 residents as of Wednesday.