Atlanta mayor: Gov. Kemp rejects idea of requiring masks be worn in some cases in public

ATLANTA - Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms believes citizens should have to don a mask when they are in a situation where social distancing is not possible. 

But the leader of the city cannot impose that requirement without the go-ahead of the governor. And Brian Kemp "does not support" the proposal.

That is what Bottoms told the members of the Atlanta City Council during an update on the coronavirus impact. 

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms sitting down with FOX 5 reporter Morse Diggs. (FOX 5)

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The mayor, who believes it was too early to relax restrictions, told the council she is concerned about scenes like what happened last Saturday. 

Crowds gathered all over the city including perhaps as many as one hundred individuals who watched street racers in the West End. 

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"When police have to go out and disperse these crowds, and the people are not wearing masks, it puts our officers at greater risks," the mayor told council members. 

One of them, Michael Bond, encouraged the mayor to find another way to put a mask policy in place -- even if that means having city employees put on the face coverings.

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.

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