Georgia's barber shops, nail salons and gyms start reopening despite health expert warnings - but not without facing protests from residents angry over the easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures (20 Pics)

Businesses in Georgia have started reopening despite warnings from health experts of a potential new surge of coronavirus infections - but not without facing objections from residents angry over the easing of lockdown measures. 

Barber shops, nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and a few other businesses reopened in Georgia on Friday following a month-long shutdown. 

They were given the green light by Republican Governor Brian Kemp who disregarded warnings from public health officials that relaxing restrictions could lead to more infections and deaths.

As some customers ventured back to these businesses, the COVID-19 death toll in the United States surpassed 50,000 and the number of infections reached more than 894,000. 

The reopening sparked protests from some residents on Friday as they drove past Gov Kemp's mansion in Atlanta shouting over his decision to partially reopen. 

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Barber shops, nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and a few other businesses reopened in Georgia on Friday following a month-long shutdown

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The reopening sparked protests from some residents on Friday as they drove past Gov Kemp's mansion in Atlanta shouting over his decision to partially reopen

According to a model maintained by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which is used by the White House, hospitalizations in Georgia are expected to peak next week.

There are currently more than 890 deaths and over 22,000 infections in the state. Georgia is yet to show a steady decline in both infections and deaths.  

Data that measures the rate of coronavirus spread from secondary infections has indicated the Georgia is yet to stop the spread of coronavirus. According to the Rt.Live figures, a COVID positive person in the state will go on to infect one more person.  

Even though limited in scope, the reopenings in Georgia - and at least two other states - has become a flashpoint in the debate over how quickly the US should return to work. 

While coronavirus cases continue to kill thousands of Americans each day, the stay-at-home restrictions currently in place across 95 percent of the country have cost at least 26 million people their jobs. 

With deaths and infections still rising in Georgia, many business owners planned to stay closed despite of Gov Kemp's assurance that hospital visits and new cases have leveled off enough for some to return to work with restrictions.  

Kemp's timeline to restart the economy proved too ambitious even for President Donald Trump who said on Thursday he disagreed with the fellow Republican's plan. 

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There are currently more than 890 deaths and over 22,000 infections in the state. Georgia is yet to show a steady decline in both infections and deaths

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The death toll in Georgia rose to more than 890 on Friday. The state is yet to show a steady decline of deaths

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Xuan Le wears a mask as she works on the nails of Deriana Hayward at Envy Nail Bar on Friday in Savannah, Georgia

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Hairdresser Rachel Costello colors the hair of customer Lisa Doss at the Three-13 Salon, Spa & Boutique in Marietta after it reopened on Friday

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Noah Nichols works out at the Rock Fitness Center in Ringgold, Georgia on Friday

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Christian Santos works on a new tattoo for first-time client Jose Quiroc at his Light and Shadows Tattoo parlor in Georgia

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A customer gets her eyebrows waxed at Three-13 Salon, Spa & Boutique on Friday in Marietta

However, sources say Trump and Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly told Kemp that they approved of his aggressive plan to allow businesses to reopen, just a day before Trump pulled an about-face and publicly bashed the plan. 

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Kemp has ignored the mounting criticism. He says that businesses are safe to reopen so long as they practice social distancing

On Friday, Trump signed a $484 billion bill to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the pandemic - the latest federal effort to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or scale down. 

Over the past five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about one in six workers.  

Despite the lost revenues, not all eligible businesses in Georgia jumped at the chance to reopen. 

Shay Cannon, owner of Liberty Tattoo in Atlanta, said he would reopen in May by appointment only and did not foresee a return to normal until June or later.

'We're just watching the numbers and doing what seems right to us,' Cannon told Reuters. 

Jasmine Maskell, owner of Timeless Tattoo in Atlanta, said she was not opening on Friday but would slowly resume business over the next couple of weeks under strict precautions.

The shop would operate as if everyone is infected, Maskell said. 'We will just operate under that notion and then we can keep everyone safe here.' 

David Huynh had 60 clients booked for appointments at his nail salon in Savannah, but a clothing store, jewelry shop and chocolatier that share a street corner with his downtown business, Envy Nail Bar, remained closed as he opened.

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People pass by the Georgia Governor's Mansion while participating in a car parade protest against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's order allowing for the reopening of certain businesses

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Even though limited in scope, the reopenings in Georgia - and at least two other states - has become a flashpoint in the debate over how quickly the US should return to work

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With deaths and infections still rising in Georgia, many business owners planned to stay closed despite of Gov Kemp's assurance that hospital visits and new cases have leveled off enough for some to return to work

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Kemp's timeline to restart the economy proved too ambitious even for President Donald Trump who said on Thursday he disagreed with the fellow Republican's plan

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Angry protesters drove past Gov Kemp's mansion in Atlanta brandishing signs urging people to stay home despite some restrictions being lifted

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People prepare their vehicles before participating in a car parade protest against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's order allowing for the reopening of certain businesses

'The phone´s been staying ringing off the hook,' Huynh told the Associated Press. 'We've probably gotten hundreds of calls in the last hour.'

Four women clutching face masks were waiting outside when the salon opened for the first time since March 26.

'Yes, I am ready to get my nails fixed,' said Alina Davis, a police officer for the local school system, who kept working throughout the crisis.

Meanwhile, Nikki Thomas said she is overdue for a visit to her hair stylist, but she's barely ventured outside her house in the six weeks since her employer, an Atlanta advertising company, mandated working from home on March 12. 

She had no plans to change that now just because of Kemp's decision.

'It's obviously extremely stupid and I'm simultaneously exhausted and so angry I can barely see straight,' Thomas said. 

US Representative Doug Collins from Georgia, a Republican like the state's governor Kemp, said reopening on Friday was confusing for customers.

'Everyone's supposed to be staying home, but yet we're opening up these businesses,' Collins told Fox News. 

He cited federal guidelines calling for states to experience a two-week decline in cases first, and said parts of Georgia were still struggling to treat patients.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told Good Morning America on Friday that Georgia did not have the hospital capacity to handle the outbreak and warned of a second wave of cases.  

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'Listen to the scientists. There is nothing essential about going to a bowling alley or getting a manicure in the middle of a pandemic.

'It's necessary that we continue to distance ourselves to the extent that if we've seen any relief in our numbers, it's because we've been aggressive with social distancing and asking people to stay home,' she said.

Bottoms added that Gov. Kemp has not explained to her which data he used to inform his decision.  

'I'm looking at data that shows our numbers are not going down, we're still having thousands testing positive, our death rate is continuing to go up, the way it's been explained to me is simply because we have reached one peak does not mean we won't reach another.

'To make an assumption that we are out of the woods is not based on anything other than the desire to open up businesses.

'Some are willing to sacrifice lives for the sake of the economy and that is unacceptable to me,' she said.

Bottoms does not have the authority to apply one rule to Atlanta: whatever the governor decides for the entire state is what will apply in her city.

She said on Friday however that he could not 'supersede her voice'.

'To open up our state is irresponsible. Just because we have hospital beds and are not at capacity does not mean we need to fill them up,' she said. 

Kemp has ignored the mounting criticism.

He says that businesses are safe to reopen so long as they practice social distancing and hygiene measures that he said would be in place if the state waited several more weeks anyway.

In a string of tweets on Thursday, he said: 'With favorable data and approval from state health officials, we are taking another measured step forward by opening shuttered businesses for limited operations.

'I know these hardworking Georgians will prioritize the safety of their employees and customers.'

'Together, we will weather this storm and emerge stronger than ever,' he said.