President Donald Trump said he disagreed with the Georgia governor’s decision to begin relaxing social-distancing measures this week, a marked shift in tone from his repeated calls for states to reopen their economies, Bloomberg reported.
“I disagree with what he’s doing,” Trump said at a White House press conference Wednesday about Governor Brian Kemp’s announcement that tattoo parlors, movie theaters and nail salons in Georgia would begin opening this week.
“I think it’s too soon. Safety has to dominate,” Trump said.
Southern Republican governors who were among the last to institute shelter-at-home orders are now pushing to become the first to lift them. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster also said beaches, florists and shoe shops in his states would soon reopen.
The announcements came just four days after the White House issued guidelines for states to reopen in phases, Bloomberg adds.
Kemp, in response to Trump’s remarks, tweeted late Wednesday that his decision to begin reopening “is driven by data and guided by state public health officials.”
Trump has consistently urged states to reopen as soon as possible, and late last week he signaled support for protests against social-distancing restrictions in states such as Michigan and Virginia.
The President has repeatedly warned that the country was in danger of inflicting more harm through social-distancing measures than the virus itself would cause.
Kemp said Covid-19 emergencies had declined and that new diagnoses “appear to have flattened.” He also detailed efforts to expand testing and screening for potential infections, including a mobile app developed by Augusta University that will let any Georgian input their symptoms and get approval for a test if needed.
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