MACON, Ga. — Macon's Board of Health called on Governor Brian Kemp to rescind his order opening businesses across the state.
Board members said they were frustrated by the governor's decision and voted unanimously to tell him so.
They join a number of local leaders around the state who've said the same.
"To be absolutely clear, I was just as surprised as the rest of the world," said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson about the moment he learned Kemp was easing restrictions on some businesses statewide.
"The idea that barbershops are going to be open Friday and the theater is going to be open next Monday, it is just almost inconceivable," said Albany Mayor Bo Dorough.
Even President Donald Trump weighed in. Wednesday afternoon, he said he disagreed "strongly with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the phase one guidelines" for loosening restrictions.
He added "(Kemp) must do what he thinks is right. I want him to do what he thinks is right. But I disagree with him on what he's doing."
In a teleconferenced meeting Wednesday, Macon-Bibb County's Board of Health also disagreed with the Governor.
"The Macon-Bibb County Board of Health respectfully requests that Governor Kemp rescind executive order 4.20.20.01," said the board's resolution.
Citing limited testing capacity and concerns over enforcement of safety practices, board members unanimously passed a resolution asking Kemp to halt his plan to reopen businesses or amend it so that local communities can create and execute their own reopening plans.
"We are behind in this state," said board member Chris Tsavatewa. "Our per capita testing is abysmal."
"I just don't see how there's going to be, it's going to be possible to monitor any of those places that are slated for reopening," said county commissioner and board member Elaine Lucas.
Tsavatewa argued that Georgia has not met the reopening guidelines laid out by President Trump's coronavirus taskforce.
"I think the executive order fails to meet the threshold of the gating criteria," said Tsavetewa.
The federal government outlines several recommended criteria it says a state should meet before reopening, according to the Opening Up America Again guidelines.
These include stipulations that a state should have 14 days of downward trajectory in the number of reported cases or the percentage of positive test results before initiating a phased reopening of businesses.
Kemp's press secretary press secretary Cody Hall admitted via email that Georgia currently does not meet the guidelines, saying "if trends continue, the Dept. of Public Health believes we will meet the gating criteria by Friday."
Friday is the day Governor Kemp's plan to begin reopening some businesses across the state is scheduled to go into effect.
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