Savannah Mayor Blasts Georgia Governor for Blocking Mask Mandates as Covid Rages in His State: ‘Gov. Kemp Does Not Give a Damn About Us’

Savannah, Georgia Mayor Van Johnson unloaded on his state’s governor on Thursday for a decision to overrule any local mask mandates or other public health regulations to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the state.

Georgia just broke a new, single-day record for new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday with 3,568 positive tests — two days after setting its last single-day record. And its latest official case count marks a roughly 450% rise in Covid-19 infecting from one month ago. And Johnson’s criticism his is far from the first time George Governor Brian Kemp has come under fire from one of his state’s local leaders during the pandemic. Back in April, the mayor of Albany, Georgia publicly called out Kemp, warning he was making the “wrong decision”  by reopening the state’s businesses too soon.

Speaking with CNN host Jake Tapper, Johnson reiterated the frustration that he had expressed on Twitter early on Thursday.

It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us. Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.

In #Savannah, we will continue to keep the faith and follow the science. Masks will continue to be available!

— Mayor Van Johnson (@MayorJohnsonSAV) July 16, 2020

Tapper introduced Johnson by noting that Savannah’s county, Chatham, just reported its own record-high number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. “Beyond that tweet, what was your reaction when you heard the decision from Governor Kemp?” Tapper asked of Kemp’s abrupt reversal on allowing local mask mandates.

“I was furious, I was absolutely at a loss for words,” Johnson said. “Here we are fighting to get in front of the coronavirus. We’re doing the best we can, day in and day out. Not only are we fighting coronavirus on one hand, it appears as if we’re fighting our state on the other hand. It made absolutely no sense to me. That at a time where our corporate giants are mandating masks, where the state of Alabama is mandating masks. The state of Florida, about 120 miles south of us is the hotspot of the nation, that our governor would not only do an emergency order, but specifically stop cities across the state of Georgia from doing what we can to protect our folks. It didn’t make sense to me.”

“This is a fight for our lives. And it’s too important,” Johnson added, moments later. “All reports say wearing masks slow the spread of Covid-19. We’re going to do all we can to protect our businesses. This is what this is all about. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s about protecting our folks.”

“The governor is encouraging people to wear masks,” Tapper pointed out. “He’s just not allowing to you mandate it. Has he explained it at all? I mean, why shouldn’t you be allowed to do what 36 states have done, including Alabama, mandating masks in public, so as to protect people?”

“From guidance that was given by the CDC which is located in Atlanta, Georgia,” Johnson added to Tapper’s point, highlighting the irony. “The reality of it for us, Jake, it makes perfect good sense on July 1st, Savannah was the first city in Georgia to mandate masks. On July 2nd, the governor said he would not challenge it, because I think we all agree that wearing a mask was a significant way to be able to slow the spread. And then late last night, about two hours before his current order was scheduled to expire. We get this, no explanation. Nothing else.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.