ATLANTA (AP) - President Donald Trump's blunt disapproval of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to let certain businesses reopen in limited ways is only complicating the decisions of many owners, workers and customers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hair stylist Shannon Stafford said Thursday that she was having second thoughts about reopening her Savannah salon Friday as she weighed the clashing messages from the president and fellow Republican Kemp.
"Do you want us to remain closed? Do you want us to reopen?" Stafford said Thursday. "Everything, just the back and forth, it does have me a little uncertain whether to proceed."
Stafford said she planned to open her doors to allow her stylists to return to work if they choose. She also planned to keep appointments with three clients who had already booked.
"Whether I decide to move forward with taking some clients, I'm not certain," she said.
With Georgia's reported coronavirus cases rising past 21,000 and deaths hitting 847 on Thursday according to the state Department of Public Health, reopening was already mired in unattractive choices. Businesses that have had breaks on rent and loan repayment might find creditors less forgiving if they reopen. Employees would have to report to work or risk losing unemployment benefits. And customers have to decide just how much they want to risk for that haircut or workout.
Kemp is allowing elective medical procedures to resume Friday and the close-contact businesses he had ordered closed may reopen, including barber shops, nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors, bowling alleys and massage therapists. On Monday, limited in-restaurant dining may resume and movie theaters may reopen. All the businesses are subject to a list of restrictions including separating workers and enhanced sanitation.
Kemp has defended the move as measured, but he's been widely criticized, with Trump saying Wednesday that he told Kemp by phone that "I totally disagree" with the decision.
The move is driven in part by economic concerns. Georgia processed another 244,000 unemployment claims last week. In the five weeks since the crisis began, 1.1 million Georgians have filed for unemployment - more than one-fifth of the state's workforce. The U.S. Labor Department said that based on workers with unemployment insurance, a group that excludes a significant number of workers, Georgia has the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the U.S.
U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, a fellow Republican, piled onto Kemp on Thursday morning, issuing a statement and appearing on Fox News to support Trump and criticize the governor.
"Leadership is about making decisions and communicating them effectively and I think the governor has caused a lot of confusion by picking seemingly random businesses to open but leaving the stay at home order in place," Collins said in a statement.
For Collins, the criticism is personal: Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler to the U.S. Senate to replace Johnny Isakson instead of him. Now Loeffler and Collins are among 20 candidates jousting in an all-party November election for the remaining two years of Isakson's term. Loeffler appeared with Kemp on a conference call with her supporters Wednesday - minutes before Trump attacked him - voicing support for the governor's plan. Thursday morning found Loeffler riding the fence, saying she wasn't "going to play politics" while trying to support both her patron Kemp and the president.
"Both President Trump and Governor Kemp are showing strong leadership during these unprecedented times – and I'm honored to be working with them to reopen our economy based on a measured, data-driven approach," Loeffler said in a statement.
Business owners, too, are trying to sort through the competing imperatives. Jack Ryan is vice president of Peak Fitness Solutions, which owns eight fitness clubs in North Carolina and Georgia, including some Snap Fitness branches in the Atlanta area.
"Our guiding principle has to be taking great care of our staff and our members and keeping them safe," Ryan said. That doesn't include opening Friday because "I think that would be irresponsible," he said.
Ryan said health and government officials haven't provided adequate information on what precautions and safety measures gyms should take. The business is also trying to obtain disinfecting supplies, already running low before they closed in March, as well as masks and gloves for staff.
The governor's executive order has put additional pressure on their businesses, Ryan said.
Aside from gyms worried about any relief from landlords or lenders disappearing if they open, there's the fear that some customers eager to return may leave for competitors that do open Friday, he said.
___
Kate Brumback and Ben Nadler contributed. Russ Bynum contributed from Savannah, Georgia.