Gov. Brian Kemp doesn’t plan to impose new restrictions or require the use of masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia, he said Friday as he tried to balance an increase in cases of the disease with his decision to roll back limits.

The Republican said mandating masks is a “bridge too far for me right now” and that the state continues to “hold our own” in the quest to contain the disease, citing increased troves of lifesaving personal protection equipment and testimony from hospital executives encouraged by new treatments.

The statements coincide with rising outbreaks in Georgia and across the region that threaten to reverse months of efforts, such as social-distancing and economic restrictions, aimed at slowing the spread of the disease.

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