Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday that he is issuing a statewide shelter-in-place order as the state continues to battle the coronavirus.

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon the governor said he would sign the order on Thursday and it would go into effect on Friday.

LISTEN TO FULL PRESS BRIEFING BELOW>>>

Kemp also ordered that all public schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year.

The latest numbers from the Department of Public Health shows Georgia currently more than 4,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 100 deaths.

Kemp’s office announced that the governor will be holding a news conference at 5 p.m. Wednesday to update the state about the virus’ impact and what’s being done to combat it.

In recent days, Kemp has come under fire for not ordering a statewide shelter in place like many other states across the country.

During a statewide televised town hall, Kemp addressed the criticism.

"We still have (several) counties that don’t have a case; trying to balance all those things and going on that data we have and supporting local elected officials,” Kemp said.

So far, the governor has closed schools, banned gatherings of 10 or more people, shut down bars and nightclubs and ordered people in fragile health to stay home. But he's resisted calls for a statewide order for all Georgians to shelter at home, saying those decisions are best left to local governments.

The Georgia Municipal Association held a conference call for mayors Monday to update them on the virus response, said Larry Hanson, the group’s executive director. But Hanson said there’s still disagreement over what role the state should play.

A shrinking handful of Georgia counties still have no confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Fearful of closing businesses and losing jobs, Hanson said, some local leaders don't want the governor to impose tougher restrictions statewide.

“But there is a growing number of mayors calling for that,” Hanson said.

“There’s no question there are a number of mayors who are concerned and fearful and are trying to manage this crisis at the local level," he said. “And some think that more stringent actions are needed.”

The Georgia Municipal Association last week urged all 538 cities statewide to adopt some type of emergency order aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. Hanson said he didn’t know how many had adopted such measures, but the association’s website Tuesday listed roughly 60 cities and counties that had taken action.