The chief judge of the Northern District of Georgia said he is reluctantly continuing the suspension of federal jury trials through Feb. 28, citing the impact of COVID-19 and "the unknown impact of holiday gatherings on local conditions." 

The order is U.S. District Chief Judge Thomas Thrash's ninth curtailing court operations because of the pandemic. "Despite months of intense preventative measures … the significant threat presented by COVID-19 within the United States and Georgia continues," he said.