Gov. Brian Kemp looks to pivot fight against COVID-19 to rapid expansion of testing

Monday, April 27, 2020

ATLANTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- Gov. Brian Kemp is looking to pivot the fight against COVID-19 away from keeping the state's economy mostly closed and more toward the rapid expansion of testing.

But Kemp continued to defend his position to re-open those businesses, even though criticism came from the unlikeliest of places -- the White House.

President Donald Trump said he was not in favor of Kemp's plan to re-open parts of the state's economy as the country continues to fight against the deadly virus.

But Kemp continued to praise the White House's response to the virus, saying despite their disagreements, he and Trump shared a common goal: keeping people safe.

"I want to continue to applaud the president’s leadership in these difficult times," Kemp said.

That safety, according to Kemp, comes as the state continues to work to rapidly expand testing capabilities.

“As I’ve said many times, the expansion of testing is key in the fight against COVID-19," Kemp said.

That's why Kemp talked up the state's response to the virus, saying they have the tests, the physicians, the testing sites, and the bandwidth to handle capacity.

More on this story as it develops.