Donald Trump has said he disagrees with the controversial decision by Georgia governor Brian Kemp to start relaxing social distancing measures this week, but added that his fellow Republican had to do what he thinks is right.

Speaking at his daily White House briefing, the president said: "I think it's too soon. But at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right."

He added: "Would I do that? No, I'd wait a little longer." However, he called Mr Kemp "a capable man who knows what he's doing".

On Monday Mr Kemp announced that he would allow businesses including bowling alleys, tattoo parlours, nail salons, massage therapists and gyms to open on Friday. He said that church services could resume with social distancing measures, and said that restaurants and cinemas would be able to reopen from Monday.

The president's intervention is surprising as Mr Trump has not only been urging states to open back up for business as soon as possible, but has even been encouraging demonstrators across the country – some of them armed – who have been protesting against stay-at-home and social distancing orders.

He has also repeatedly praised Republican governors who have been accused of dragging their feet over the pandemic – such as Mr Kemp and Florida's Ron DeSantis – while criticising and insulting Democratic governors who have taken actions to limit the spread of the deadly virus, which has infected more than 800,000 Americans and killed more than 41,000.

Georgia has had more than 19,000 cases and more than 800 deaths.

Later in the same briefing Anthony Fauci, one of the lead medical experts on the White House coronavirus taskforce, said: "If I were advising the governor, I would tell him he should be careful.

"Going ahead and leapfrogging into phases where you should not be ... I would advise him not to do that."

Earlier on Wednesday computer projections from the University of Washington‘s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggested that states should not begin to scale back stay-at-home and social distancing measures for weeks or even months.

It suggested that Georgia should not be reopening until 8 June.