Although Republican Gov. Brian Kemp cited the White House’s proposed reopening plan in his decision to allow some businesses to reopen as soon Friday, President Trump and his coronavirus task force weren’t as eager to put their weight behind him during a White House briefing Tuesday night.

While Trump referred to Kemp as a “very capable man” who knows what he’s doing, Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response director, said she would not prejudge a state leader’s decisions but cautioned Georgia residents to use common sense.

“I believe people in Atlanta would understand if their cases are not going down then they need to continue to do everything that we said: social distancing, washing your hands, wearing a mask in public,” Birx said, citing the administration’s “Opening Up America Again” guidelines.

Before any state attempts to reopen, Birx said it is up to the elected officials to transparently convey to the public the evidence-based data utilized to make the decision. Also, Birx said opening up retail stores, entertainment venues and salons should vary from community to community. For instance, a highly populated area like Atlanta or a hard-hit region like Dougherty County (with 103 deaths, the most of any county in the state) would not conceivably be ready to reopen as the more rural areas of the state that have recorded few positive cases.

Kemp’s decision has been highly critiqued, and even Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) expressed hesitation about the move, tweeting: “I worry that our friends and neighbors in Georgia are going too fast too soon.”

Though Birx stated several times that she did not want to second-guess Kemp, she advised elected officials to follow the administration’s phases of reopening protocols.

“We’ve been very clear in the guidelines,” Birx said. “It’s up to the governors and mayors to ensure that they’re following, the best they can, each of those phases to make sure that the … public is completely protected.”

Birx, however, gave an implausible scenario for hairstylists and tattoo artists to remain six feet away from patrons while providing personal services.