Chris Herbert | Valdosta Daily TimesGov. Brian Kemp urges Georgia residents to wear masks and practice social distancing July 1 during a stop in Valdosta. Kemp and other speakers wore masks except when speaking at the podium.

VALDOSTA – For college football season to happen this fall, Georgians need to wear their masks, Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday during a South Georgia stop.

“We know how successful Valdosta State has been on the gridiron and I told my two daughters at (the University of) Georgia the other day, ‘if you want to have football in the fall, you got to get your friends to start wearing their masks,'” he said.

On the same day Georgia experienced a record-high of nearly 3,000 new COVID-19 cases, the governor visited South Georgia Medical Center’s Smith-Northview location Wednesday afternoon as part of his two-day “Wear a Mask” tour.

“We are traveling this state … to encourage all Georgians to simply do the right thing,” Kemp said. “We know what works. We’re asking you to continue to practice (public health guidelines).”

While the state’s mortality rate has been on a downward trend recently, Kemp emphasized “there’s no doubt” new cases have risen around the state during that same time.

“It is a clear reminder we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.

As the state broke records for new numbers of cases three out of the last four days, the governor encouraged Georgians to “hunker down and keep chopping” and continue to practice public health guidelines such as wearing a mask in public, washing hands and practicing social distancing, particularly before the Fourth of July weekend.

“When we first opened, numbers went down,” he said. “There was something that changed. … Summer got here. People started going out and they’re not using the practices we want to double down on.”

Despite encouraging Georgians to wear a mask out in public, he declined to make mask wearing mandatory, saying he had “great confidence” that Georgians would abide by his office’s guidelines and social distance in addition to wearing masks.

Some states such as Texas and California have slowed and rolled back some of their reopening measures, but Georgia will not follow that path, according to Kemp, saying he would not reverse any measure for the state to reopen businesses like closing bars. He said Georgia’s bar capacity “around 35%” was lower than other states that have rolled back reopening.

“We believe that bars can socially distance with that percentage of patrons in there,” he said.

If bars don’t follow that percentage and other guidelines, they could face penalties.

Young people, such as Kemp’s daughters, should avoid the urge to shirk guidelines in order to prevent further spread of the virus, he said.

The governor noted that 53% of the positive tests from SGMC’s drive-through testing location at Smith-Northview are people between the ages of 18 and 30. While not more than half, Lowndes residents ages 11-24 have contracted the virus more than any other age bracket at 30.81% of local COVID-19 cases.

Under his order, Kemp explained that local law enforcement officials can enforce his office’s guidelines on establishments not complying with them through warnings, citations or even shutting businesses down.

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, added that contract tracing remains a critical practice for health departments around the state and encourages Lowndes residents to participate in contact tracing. 

“When Dr. (William) Grow’s team calls, pick up the phone,” she urged, referring to the director of the South Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Please listen and heed that call.”

One municipality, the city of Savannah, disagreed with the governor not mandating public mask wearing and passed a policy Tuesday requiring its residents to do so. Already instituted Wednesday morning, Kemp did not rule out the possibility of legal action against Savannah for its mandate of residents wearing masks in public or possibly be fined. The Savannah measure went into effect 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Valdosta does not appear likely to follow Savannah’s lead, however.

“At this moment, the only discussion we’ve had is simply whatever Gov. Kemp has mandated – whatever guidelines he’s put in place – to simply follow those guidelines,” Valdosta City Councilman Andy Gibbs said. “… If anything changes on the governor’s end, it’ll change on our end.” 

Grow said wearing a mask is crucial to curb the spread of COVID-19 and advised everyone to wear one while in public. Although Grow hasn’t broached a mask mandate with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, he would recommend it.

“I have not spoken directly with him about this, but if I did, that’d be what I would recommend to him,” Grow said.