AUGUSTA, GA (WFXG) Augusta's top leaders stressed that returning to work Friday does not mean going back to normal. They want business owners to continue complying with the CDC's social distancing and sanitation guidelines.
 
"As the sheriff indicated, we'll continue first with a warning. Then there's a potential of $1,000 fine and absent compliance, your business will be shut down. That's what's going to happen,” said Mayor Hardie Davis.
 
The mayor said a big concern is a need for more rapid and available testing and treatment. Something the health department is working on.
 
"We have partnered with the housing authority and also Christ Community Health Center to try to offer testing in places where we feel like individuals may not have transportation or may have other difficulties accessing testing resources,” said Dr. Stephen Goggans with the Georgia Department of Public Health.
 
Local health department medical staff has tested 125 people and the plan is to continue at other housing facilities. The health department is also actively investigating how every person who tests positive contracted COVID-19.

Including those on the front lines, like law enforcement. A contract medical worker and a deputy jailer recently tested positive for the virus. Sheriff Richard Roundtree said Augusta University Medical Center and the Georgia National Guard are stepping into test inmates who came into direct contact with them. Jail employees are also being tested.
 
"As the mayor said, in an abundance of protecting life and the citizens of Richmond County, were going to take a much harder approach moving forward,” said Sheriff Richard Roundtree.
 
That means a warning for violating social distancing and shelter in place orders can escalate to citations or other consequences, depending on the governor’s guidelines.

Georgia's shelter in place order ends next week on April 30th. Local leaders said those who can, should continue to shelter in place. At this point, 309 people in Richmond County have tested positive for COID-19, according to the state department of public health.

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