Mayor Hardie Davis said he was shocked by Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to allow nonessential businesses to begin reopening Friday.

Kemp announced Monday an aggressive timetable to allow gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and other businesses to reopen, as long as they follow social distancing and sanitation mandates. Dine-in restaurants and movie theaters can reopen Monday.

Kemp cited the state’s level of testing — currently 0.83% of the state’s population — along with COVID-19 case levels that appear to be flattening and declining. But he advised the elderly and medically fragile to shelter in place through May 13.

Davis said in an interview late Monday with CNN commentator Don Lemon that the state isn’t ready to reopen.

"We’re all caught off guard and quite frankly surprised the governor moved as quickly as he did to open the state back up," Davis said.

Georgia hasn’t implemented the "three Ts" — testing, contact tracing and treatment — at a level sufficient to reopen gyms, salons, restaurants and churches, he said.

"We see the incline continuing as opposed to getting to a place and plateauing," Davis said.

Augusta-RIchmond County has recorded a total of 295 COVID-19 cases through Tuesday. Twelve people have died so far.

Davis said he was unaware of state guidelines being sent to ensure businesses reopen safely.

"Without a series of educational efforts to those industries, it’s going to be extremely difficult for us to continue to flatten the curve," Davis said.

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Augusta has 32 gyms or fitness centers, 413 restaurants, four theaters, 52 massage therapists and 330 personal care providers impacted by Kemp’s shutdown order.

"Out of an abundance of caution, I would encourage great Georgians across this state to be very (cautious) in going back into those places of business, whether you are patrons or employees," Davis said.

Davis repeated that advice during Tuesday’s Augusta Commission meeting.

"My advice to folks is to continue to shelter in place," he said.

Kemp’s directive has created more work for first responders, whom Davis said had not been relieved of enforcing the shelter-in-place order.

"All that it has done is complicated the EMA director’s job, the sheriff’s job and those folks that are first responders," Davis said.

"Equally odd" was Kemp’s decision to resume in-person church services when "we can continue to worship livestream and also in parking lots," Davis said Monday.

Kemp said "holding in-person services is allowed," but under strict social distancing protocols, and that holding online, call-in or drive-in services are "good options."

Davis said reopening businesses too soon threatens to undo the state’s success in fighting the virus.

"If we move as swiftly as the governor is proposing, we could find ourselves mashing the gas on the economy, when we could be putting the brakes on where we are right now," he said. "We need to do everything we can to make sure we are flattening the curve right now.

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