President Trump says he disagrees with Gov. Kemp's decision to re-open Georgia businesses
President Trump leads daily briefing of the White House coronavirus task force.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Twitter Thursday that the state would be allowing certain businesses to reopen for limited operation, in light of encouraging data concerning the novel coronavirus.
Kemp, a Republican, made the announcement despite vocal opposition from President Trump, who said he disagreed with the decision but "at the same time he must do what he thinks is right."
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"For weeks now, my team has worked closely with the Trump Administration and our federal counterparts to mitigate the impact of #coronavirus in Georgia. Our decisions and direction are informed by data and public health recommendations," he began.
"We remain focused on protecting the lives - and livelihoods - of all Georgians. To slow the spread of #COVID19 and prepare for hospital surge capacity, we asked Georgians to shelter in place and closed specific businesses throughout our state."
"Most businesses remained open with restrictions to ensure community health and well-being. We were successful in our efforts to protect Georgians and our state's healthcare infrastructure," Kemp continued.
"Now, with favorable data and approval from state health officials, we are taking another measured step forward by opening shuttered businesses for limited operations. I know these hardworking Georgians will prioritize the safety of their employees and customers."
He added, "Together, we will weather this storm and emerge stronger than ever."
At Wednesday's White House coronavirus briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) joined with Trump and recommended that Kemp not "leapfrog" White House guidelines.
"I would advise him not to just turn the switch on and go," Fauci said. "Because there is a danger of a rebound."
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As of Thursday, there were 856,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. and over 47,000 fatalities.
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report
