Business owners prepare to take extra precautions as COVID-19 cases continue to rise

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — COVID-19 levels are back in the high category in Cobb and Douglas counties. That means COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are going up.

Public health officials are now urging people to do more to protect themselves and others.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with some Smyrna business owners who are prepared to take extra precautions.

One of the things public health officials are encouraging people to do is wear a mask when they are inside of a public place.

Employees at the Super Mercado La Villa grocery store have been doing that and will continue to do so.

“Here at La Villa we are all vaccinated and we all have our booster shots,” manager Nancy Covarrubias said.

And that’s not all.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Police searching for woman they say tried to claim lost child that wasn’t hers at Stone Mountain
• Georgia Guidestones demolished after bombing damages mysterious monument
• Remains of SC man missing for 2 months found under machine at his job, coroner says

“The girls at the register, they always have their mask on. All day,” Covarrubias said.

They’ve become accustomed to this practice since the start of the pandemic and they will continue to do this no matter how low or high COVID-19 cases are.

“We’ve never stopped sanitizing and cleaning very well every night. We always clean and try to sanitize everything as much as we can,” Covarrubias said.

Covarrubias told Newell that there are hand sanitizers all over the restaurant. She said half of them wear their masks and half of them don’t but it’s everyone’s choice right now.

But more changes could come if COVID-19 cases spike.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

“We don’t want to be sick,” said Covarrubias.

The Cobb County courthouse mask mandate was just reinstated because of high COVID-19 transmission levels.

“We will make it mandatory to wear our masks and the customers will have a choice to wear their mask also,” Covarrubias said.

In addition to wearing a mask inside of a public place, health officials are encouraging people to get their booster shots and if you have symptoms, get tested.

IN OTHER NEWS:

2 Atlanta men jailed more than 10 times each arrested on drug charges. Again.

©2022 Cox Media Group