Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) said Wednesday that the crowds on city streets on Cinco de Mayo were “disappointing.”
Bottoms reacted on CNN’s “New Day” to a video showing people gathering on Tuesday at Atlanta restaurants and bars to celebrate the holiday.
“It was disappointing, and what was very clear was that people didn’t get anything past the message that we were open up for business,” she said. “They didn’t get to the part that said that this is still a deadly virus and that you needed to continue to socially distance and wear masks.”
“We’re not out of the woods,” she cautioned.
The mayor specifically warned that a new hotspot in the northeastern part of the state is “rapidly” growing.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) began reopening the state’s economy last week, allowing restaurants to open to in-person dining and operate at 50 percent capacity, which sparked a backlash.
Bottoms and several experts were among those who called the reopening premature. President Trump also criticized the governor for its reopening plan ahead of its implementation last week.
Georgia has confirmed at least 30,562 cases of coronavirus, leading to 5,709 hospitalizations and 1,305 deaths, according to the state health department.