The county said the move was ordered during the Board of Commissioners Meeting by Fulton County Interim District Health Director Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford.

ATLANTA — Fulton County on Wednesday ordered residents to stay at home.

The county said the move was ordered during the Board of Commissioners Meeting by Fulton County Interim District Health Director Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford.

"The order commands all county residents to stay at their place of residence; only allowing them to leave to provide, receive, or engage in essential services or activities," a release said. "The order also permits those who work for essential businesses and perform essential governmental functions to leave their place of residence. The order will go into effect immediately."

The release says violations of the order "shall constitute a misdemeanor and subject the violator to penalties and fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail per offense."

The order also prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people not belonging to the same household.

“It is my hope that this Administrative Order enhances our efforts to keep Fulton County residents safe, and assists in flattening the COVID-19 curve,” Dr. Ford said.

As of noon Wednesday, around the same time the order was issued, there were 624 cases of COVID-19 in the county. At least 19 people had died from the virus.

The city of Atlanta, which mostly falls within Fulton County, already has its own stay-at-home order in place.

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