Ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend, DeKalb County officials want residents — and visitors to Stone Mountain Park — to know that COVID-19 still poses an “imminent threat.”
The county announced Wednesday that it will use its emergency notification system to send emails and voice messages to some 566,000 subscribers this weekend, urging them to wear masks in public, practice social distancing, wash and sanitize their hands and stay home if possible.
The county also plans to use geocoding technology to send alerts and text messages to visitors in the vicinity of Stone Mountain Park — where large crowds are expected during the holiday period despite the traditional fireworks and laser shows being cancelled.
Officials are “particularly concerned” about the park and other Independence Day gatherings exacerbating the spread of COVID-19.
DeKalb has the state of Georgia’s third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases (5,841) and has seen 173 deaths.
“We are tracking an alarming increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in DeKalb and across the state of Georgia,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said in a news release.
“Extraordinary measures must be taken to ensure that our residents and visitors are aware of the imminent threat and, more importantly, how to mitigate the spread of this deadly virus.”
Stone Mountain Park has remained open during the pandemic but most attractions have been closed. That changes Thursday, when the park will open attractions like the Scenic Railroad, the Summit Skyride and restaurants to the general public with new guidelines.
Attraction capacity will be limited and, with a few exceptions, masks will be required. Visit the park's website for more details.
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