Editing COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state) (section)

===State government===
[[File:11 ALIVE COVID Interview - 49670985371.jpg|thumb|[[Brigadier General]] Dwayne Wilson, director of joint staff of the [[Georgia National Guard]], speaks with reporters from [[11 Alive]] about the Georgia Guard's response to COVID-19 in the joint operations center at the [[Clay National Guard Center]] on March&nbsp;17, 2020.]]

All state lawmakers and their staff members were urged to self-quarantine on March 18 after state Senator [[Brandon Beach]] tested positive. Beach had displayed symptoms for nearly a week, and despite knowing his COVID-19 test was pending, he went to work at the state capitol on March 16 when emergency legislation was passed. Beach explained in an interview that he "was cleared to go back to normal duties" and added that "[i]n no way, shape or form would [he] ever intentionally expose anyone".<ref name="ajc-beach-interview-2020">{{cite web |last1=Bluestein |first1=Greg |title=AJC Interview: Brandon Beach talks about coronavirus diagnosis that upended Capitol |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/ajc-interview-brandon-beach-talks-about-coronavirus-diagnosis-that-upended-capitol/09iSdR7sMqIsw9j1Y4f1qN/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 20, 2020 |date=March 20, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527185007/https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/ajc-interview-brandon-beach-talks-about-coronavirus-diagnosis-that-upended-capitol/09iSdR7sMqIsw9j1Y4f1qN/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Governor Kemp, who was also potentially exposed, said he would not self-quarantine or be tested because his time around others was "severely limited" and he "never interacted with any legislators".<ref name="ajc-prabhu-bluestein">{{cite web |last1=Prabhu |first1=Maya T. |last2=Bluestein |first2=Greg |title=Ga. lawmakers urged to self-quarantine after senator's positive coronavirus test |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-state-senator-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ieL8pvOR1KHzy9woAeGFHL/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 20, 2020 |date=March 19, 2020 |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523224656/https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-state-senator-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ieL8pvOR1KHzy9woAeGFHL/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kemp has faced criticism that his efforts to stop the virus' spread are not forceful enough.<ref name="kemp-broadcast-criticism">{{cite web |last1=Bluestein |first1=Greg |title=AJC IN-DEPTH: Kemp urges Georgians to heed virus warnings but balks at drastic steps |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/ajc-depth-kemp-urges-georgians-heed-virus-warnings-but-balks-drastic-steps/1NCs5550hxcF9M2XZzM8LM/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 29, 2020 |date=March 26, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409173034/https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/ajc-depth-kemp-urges-georgians-heed-virus-warnings-but-balks-drastic-steps/1NCs5550hxcF9M2XZzM8LM/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a primetime television "town hall" on March 26 simulcast on all of Atlanta's major network stations as well as by statewide PBS member [[Georgia Public Broadcasting]] and over 140  [[List of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)|radio stations across the state]] — Kemp appeared with members of the state coronavirus task force, including Atlanta mayor Bottoms, DPH commissioner Kathleen Toomey, [[Georgia Emergency Management Agency]] director Homer Bryson, and Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire commissioner John King.<ref name="kemp-broadcast-stations">{{cite web |last1=Ho |first1=Rodney |title=Gov. Brian Kemp coronavirus town hall to air on WSB, WAGA, WXIA, WGCL, GPB |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/gov-brian-kemp-coronavirus-town-hall-air-wsb-waga-wxia-wgcl-gpb/33Tuv2SbbDUV3pDS1Umu4L/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 29, 2020 |date=March 25, 2020 |archive-date=April 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402001341/https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/gov-brian-kemp-coronavirus-town-hall-air-wsb-waga-wxia-wgcl-gpb/33Tuv2SbbDUV3pDS1Umu4L/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On March 28, Governor Kemp's top aide Tim Fleming said on social media that "[t]he media and some in the medical profession are peddling these doomsday models and projections... This has in turn resulted in people panicking and local governments across our state overreacting. As a result of their overreach, many small businesses will struggle and some will not reopen." Around the same time, Atlanta mayor Bottoms warned that city hospitals were projected to be "filled beyond capacity" by May 3, and Toomey said the situation would "get much worse".<ref name="judd-trubey-ajc">{{cite web |last1=Judd |first1=Alan |last2=Trubey |first2=J. Scott |title='Explosive spread' of coronavirus in Georgia likely to worsen |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/explosive-spread-coronavirus-georgia-likely-worsen/u2AjXOD5KD6mCctVLc99OM/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 29, 2020 |date=March 28, 2020 |archive-date=May 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507152554/https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/explosive-spread-coronavirus-georgia-likely-worsen/u2AjXOD5KD6mCctVLc99OM/ |url-status=live }}</ref>