Hair stylists at Salon Gloss in Woodstock, Georgia, wore masks and gloves today, maintaining distance by using every other work station and keeping a supply of hand sanitiser nearby. Their customers also donned masks and gloves, while another employee disinfected a countertop.

Similar scenes played out across the state today, the first day Republican Gov Brian Kemp allowed gyms, barber shops, hair salons, tattoo parlours and bowling alleys to reopen their doors, just a few weeks after he issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus .

But other businesses remained closed, like Sabrina Watkins' salon in College Park, an Atlanta suburb. She won't return to work until she feels safe, she said, even though customers called asking if they could get their hair done.

Hair stylists at Salon Gloss in Woodstock, Georgia, wore masks and gloves today, maintaining distance by using every other work station and keeping a supply of hand sanitiser nearby. Their customers also donned masks and gloves, while another employee disinfected a countertop. (CNN)

"I said, 'No, absolutely not. Get your hair done for what?'" Ms Watkins said.

"There's a pandemic, people are dying. As much as I love the business, now is not the time, regardless of who says it is."

Gov Kemp and state officials moved ahead with the plans to reopen some businesses, undeterred by a barrage of criticism.

Now, the state, along with several others, is trying to safely navigate relaxing restrictions while keeping residents safe.

The governor's decision pits him against mayors from cities such as Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, as well as advice rooted in a data model often cited by the White House.

Georgia should not even begin to reopen until June 22, according to the model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which assumes states will implement aggressive testing, contact tracing, isolation and crowd-size limits to prevent more infections.

Gov Kemp and state officials moved ahead with the plans to reopen some businesses, undeterred by a barrage of criticism. Now, the state, along with several others, is trying to safely navigate relaxing restrictions while keeping residents safe. (CNN)

Gov Kemp and state officials moved ahead with the plans to reopen some businesses, undeterred by a barrage of criticism.

Now, the state, along with several others, is trying to safely navigate relaxing restrictions while keeping residents safe.Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has called Gov Kemp's decision perplexing for a state battling a virus that's killed nearly 900 residents and sickened about 22,000 others. Nationwide, the death toll has surpassed 50,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Ms Bottoms said that she expects some people will not heed pleas for social distancing.

"They will go into hair salons and go and get manicures and pedicures as if it's business as usual," Ms Bottoms told CNN's John Berman.

"And then what I expect is that in a couple of weeks we will see our numbers continue to rise in this state."

"Nothing has changed," she said, urging residents of her city to stay home.

"People are still getting infected. People are still dying."

Business owners conflicted over reopening

Those small business owners who have opened are struggling to figure out how best to protect themselves, their employees and their customers from the coronavirus.

Businesses that reopen must follow social distancing guidelines, maintain sanitation and screen their employees for symptoms such as fever and respiratory illness, Gov Kemp said.

Theaters and dine-in restaurants will be allowed to reopen Monday (local time) – even with a statewide shelter-in-place order that expires at the end of the month.

Tim Timmons, owner of Salon Gloss, said when customers arrive they have their temperatures taken and they're asked about whether they've had contact with anyone who's had the coronavirus or if they've travelled to heavily impacted places.

During shampoos, their faces are covered by a towel, he said. After checking out, customers are asked to discard their masks and gloves in a trash bin outside the salon.

Tops tips for minimizing coronavirus transmission. (9News)

But it will be hard for some businesses to maintain appropriate distance. Savannah Stafford is opening her salon in Savannah, but she conceded maintaining six feet of distance is not possible between a hair stylist and a client.

"You can kind of distance between the next two people throughout the salon," Ms Stafford said, "but it's going to be difficult because we're so hands on".

Lester Crowell decided to open his salon in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta with half his staff. Next week, he plans to go back to normal hours with a full staff.

"I definitely have hesitation," Mr Crowell said.

"I'm anxious, I'm scared, I'm excited all at once. I'm just trying to rely on the advice of our local government."

Before the outbreak, Ms Watkins saw about 10 clients daily at the work space she shares with five stylists – an arrangement she said raises the risk of exposure. Some of her clients are elderly and more vulnerable to infections.

"None of us are being tested; how do we track who's carrying it, who is giving it to whom? I don't want to take part in spreading the disease and risking their lives," she said.

"Staying home gives us a greater chance until the numbers go down as far as infections and the death toll."

The head of the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, Kay Kendrick, has applauded the governor's move, pointing out that most of the 95,000 licensees under the board are independent contractors who don't have another source of income.

One of the owners of Southern Lanes Bowling Alley in Douglasville, west of Atlanta, told CNN he was happy to open but also sensitive to the public's concerns.

"We're not trying to hurt anybody," Randy Hicks said.

"Look, we just want to get a business going. We have 25 employees that support families out of this bowling centre, so we're trying to get them back to work also."

Key information about the coronavirus pandemic. (9News)

Kemp's move criticized as other states take similar steps

Health experts have criticised the move to reopen Georgia, saying it's too soon and risks setting off another wave of infections. President Donald Trump at first applauded Gov Kemp for his aggressive plan to restart the economy, a source told CNN, then publicly bashed him during news briefings.

"I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities," Mr Trump said.

"But, at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right."

Several other states have taken steps toward easing restrictions, including Oklahoma, where personal care businesses were allowed to open for appointments today.

In Texas, retail stores were able to use delivery and curbside service beginning today.

Alaska will also allow salons and restaurants to open in many areas, though restaurants must keep distance between tables and can't exceed 25 percent of their normal capacity.

In South Carolina, GOP Gov Henry McMaster announced some stores could reopen at 20 percent capacity along with beaches.

That state shouldn't reopen until June 8 at the soonest, the health institute's modeling indicates.

Mayor Stephen Benjamin of Columbia accused McMaster of using "arbitrary dates" instead of data to decide on reopening, while Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said the governor's reopening plan was "a measured response" that took safety and social distancing into account.

Coronavirus: what you need to know

How is coronavirus transmitted?

The human coronavirus is only spread from someone infected with COVID-19 to another . This occurs through close contact with an infected person through contaminated droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with contaminated hands or surfaces.

How can I protect myself and my family?

World Health Organisation and NSW Health both recommend basic hygiene practices as the best way to protect yourself from coronavirus.

Good hygiene includes:

Clean your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser;

Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or your elbow;

Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms;

Apply safe food practices; and

Stay home if you are sick.