(CNN) Tybee Island, one of Georgia's most popular vacation destinations, depends on beachgoers to keep the town's economy alive.
But in an effort to curb the coronavirus, the city council voted to close the beaches March 20. The town went so far as to put up barricades and signs to keep beachgoers away.
The town's good intentions were upended on Thursday when Gov. Brian P. Kemp issued a statewide shelter-in-place executive order which supersedes all local orders relating to coronavirus -- and also opened up the state's beaches.
The governor put Tybee Island back in the beach business -- whether the town liked it or not.
Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions fired back on Saturday, issuing a statement saying she and the town council don't want the beaches reopened now.
"As the Pentagon ordered 100,000 body bags to store the corpses of Americans killed by the Coronavirus, Governor Brian Kemp dictated that Georgia beaches must reopen, and declared any decision-makers who refused to follow these orders would face prison and/or fines," Sessions' statement read.
"Tybee City Council and I are devastated by the sudden directives and do not support his decisions. The health of our residents, staff and visitors are being put at risk and we will pursue legal avenues to overturn his reckless mandate." |