Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
While some Georgians breathed a sigh of relief Friday when Gov. Brian Kemp allowed some non-essential businesses to reopen, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a warning to those looking to get back to their daily lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Democrat on Saturday tweeted a chart that showed an increased rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Georgia, the U.S. and the world since last week.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
“If you’re getting your nails done right now, please share these noon numbers with your manicurist,” Bottoms wrote, adding the hashtag “Stay Home Georgia.”
The table in Bottoms' tweet showed that Georgia had 904 deaths as of Saturday, a 34 percent increase from the week before. The number of cases rose to 22,695, up 28 percent from the week prior.
Georgia has one of the lowest testing rates in the nation, with at least 23,401 confirmed cases and 912 deaths as of Sunday.
Bottoms has been an outspoken critic of the Republican governor’s decision to allow some businesses to resume operations after he earlier shut them by executive order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
GEORGIA SALON OWNERS 'THRILLED' TO REOPEN AS STATE EASES CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS ON BUSINESSES
President Trump also disagreed with Kemp’s reopening, saying it was “too soon” to resume operations in the state and he “was not happy” with the governor, during a White House press briefings last week.
"I (or @VP) never gave Governor Brian Kemp an OK on those few businesses outside of the Guidelines," the president tweeted Friday. "Spas, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, & barber shops should take a little slower path, but I told the Governor to do what is right for the great people of Georgia (& USA)!"
Bottoms has said she received messages of hate for her stance on the state’s reopening, prompting Georgia officials to open an investigation.
An African-American, Bottoms on Wednesday tweeted that she got a text to her personal cellphone addressing her by a racial slur and telling her “Just shut up and RE-OPEN ATLANTA.” She told the Atlanta City Council on Thursday that her 12-year-old son also received the text.
Bottoms was elected mayor of Atlanta in 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Bottoms said that despite receiving the hate-filled messages, she would not be deterred from speaking out for Atlanta.
“I will continue to use my voice to speak on behalf of our community,” she said, adding that “cowards don't run for office."
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Bottoms has been a prominent supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential bid, with some people mentioning her as a possible vice-presidential pick.
Fox News' Julia Musto and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
