About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2020)
Save up to $115 COUPONS INSIDE eh t ettncs Weekend Edition - JULY 18-19,2020 | $2.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local Gainesville schools raising prices for tickets, going paperless. SPORTS, 12B Kemp asks Georgians to wear masks Governor will avoid mandate, citing impact on business owners, economic growth BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Gov. Brian Kemp said Fri day, July 17 he does not support a mask mandate to reduce COVID- 19 spread but believes Georgians should “do the right thing” and fol low precautions as many areas see an uptick in cases and a backlog in testing. Kemp said he was “encouraging all Georgians from every comer of the state to do four things for four weeks” — wear a mask in public, stay 6 feet away from others, wash hands often, adhere to public health guidance and follow his executive order extending social distancing rules. But that July 15 executive order also says any masking mandates put in place by city or county govern ments that go beyond the state’s vol untary measures “are suspended.” Kemp sued Atlanta Thursday to block the city from enforcing its mask mandate and other rules related to the pandemic. The law suit argues that Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has overstepped her authority. “Governor Kemp must be allowed, as the chief executive of this state, to manage the public health emergency without Mayor Bottoms issuing void and unen forceable orders which only serve to confuse the public,” the lawsuit states. Kemp defended the suit during a news conference at the Capitol on Friday, saying it was filed “on behalf of business owners, their employees and hardworking Geor gians throughout the region who continue to struggle to make ends meet.” “Mayor Bottoms’ mask man date cannot be enforced, but her decision to shutter businesses and undermine economic growth is dev astating,” Kemp said. The governor asked local leaders to enforce the state executive order rather than enact mask mandates. “While we all agree that wearing a mask is effective, I’m confident that Georgians don’t need a man date to do the right thing,” he said. “I know that Georgians can rise to this challenge, and they will.” Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commis sioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, also encouraged wearing masks, social distancing and taking other precautions. “Wearing a mask prevents an infected person from spreading COVID-19 to others and is the best protection we have,” she said. Statewide, 13.6% of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive, and ■ Please see KEMP, 5A ‘It’s still here. It’s not going away’ SCOn ROGERS I The Times G ELECTION 2020 | US HOUSE 9TH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE Clyde, Gurtler square off for GOP bid in 9th House race Andrew Clyde and Matt Gurtler face each other in the Aug. 11 runoff for the U.S. House 9th District Republican nomination. Here’s a look at each candidate and where they stand on key issues: ■ Please see NINTHGOP, 8A Clyde Gurtler Pandy, Siskin face each other for Dem. bid in 9th House race Devin Pandy and Brooke Siskin face each other in the Aug. 11 run off for the U.S. House 9th District Democratic nomination. Here’s a look at each candidate and where they stand on key issues: Pandy Siskin ■ Please see NINTHDEM,8A Jennifer Santana’s home in Buford has experienced an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus with six of the 12 residents testing positive. Hospital, families describe ongoing struggle with COVID-19 BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A week after her oldest daughter tested positive for the coronavirus, Jennifer Santana and four other members of her family received a positive test. The Buford family has been quar antining for more than three weeks, and Santana said returning to work might not happen until the middle of August. “We went to get tested and it came out we were all negative. We didn’t think anything of it. Give or take about a week later after test ing, like half of us came out posi- Hall County Breakdown of Positive Cases 49% - Hispanic/Latino 35% - White/Caucasian 10%-Other/Unknown 5% - African American/Black Source: NGHS tive,” she said. That included Santana, her hus band, two of her daughters and a daughter-in-law. Santana described three days of more serious symptoms of high fever, nausea, back pain, trouble breathing and muscle pain that grad- Service Area Breakdown of Positive Cases 31%-Hispanic/Latino 47% - White/Caucasian 16% - Other/Unknown 6% - African American/Black Source: NGHS ually faded. Quarantining has meant every body staying in their rooms and only coming out with masks on, but the time away from work has caused strain on their finances and food. Santana said they were lucky to ■ Please see LATINO, 6A Inside Your guide to 2020 elections, 8A Hall, Hatchett to compete in Aug. 11 runoff for Senate, 8A SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Kim Cantrell and other poll workers set up voting machines for early voting Friday, July 17, inside the North Hall Community Center. DEATHS 2B Beth Baden, 88 David Benfield, 60 Jeanette Buice, 81 James Burris, 53 Michael Clanton, 54 Edmund Coker, 91 Edward Gaither, 69 Benny Garmon, 65 Clyde Jones, 57 Jimmy King, 62 Joyce Krebner, 84 Minnie Moore, 99 Vince Moore, 57 Giselle Morales, 69 John O’Shields, 70 David Rodriguez, 25 Javier Rodriguez, 64 Lowell Scroggs, 46 Joseph Staffieri, Jr. Douglas Standridge, 54 Michael Stone, 60 Homer Thomas, 76 Joseph Turk, 58 Dawn Turpin, 47 Glynda Watkins, 76 Robert Watkins, 54 0 25 9 YOUR CARE FROM ANYWHERE. nghs.com/video-visits
