These Southern States Will Begin Reopening Despite COVID-19 Spread

One of those states is Georgia, which has the 12th highest infection rate in the country and reported more than 80 new deaths on Monday.

Atlant, Georgia/ Getty Images
Atlant, Georgia/ Getty Images

Multiple states in the south have moved to start lifting stay-at-home orders and reopening certain businesses and workplaces that were shut down to slow the spread of coronavirus despite warnings against doing so. 

State governors in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee have announced plans to ease restrictions, as waves of organized protests against stay-at-home orders have swept across the country. Public opinion has shown that most Americans support continuing social distancing protocols despite economic ramifications.  

On Monday, Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said that most businesses will be cleared to reopen on April 24. Barber shops, fitness centers, and massage therapists are some of the businesses that can reopen with “minimum basic operations”— which includes screening employees for fever or respiratory illness, sanitizing the workplace, wearing face masks and gloves, and separating work spaces by six feet. 

Kemp added that on April 27, dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, and private social clubs can reopen, but that nightclubs, amusement parks, and concert venues must remain closed. 

As of Tuesday, the state of Georgia had the 12th highest number of infections in the United States, with more than 19,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including at least 774 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracker. 86 new deaths were reported on Monday. 

Several people, including doctors and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, have expressed concern about Gov. Kemp’s decision to reopen Georgia. 

On Monday, South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said he is cancelling the state order mandating the closure of beaches and limiting retail businesses to pick-up and delivery. He added that he’ll instead leave the decision about public access to mayors and city council members. Those businesses, however, must limit five customers per 1,000 square feet.

McMaster said people should use “common sense,” and comply with the new rules, but adds that this is only a “gradual step” and does not mean a complete reopening of the state. South Carolina has more than 4,400 confirmed cases, resulting in at least 124 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee also announced Monday that the state’s stay-at-home order will not be extended past its April 30 end date. He added that while social distancing measures will be kept in place, some businesses will be allowed to reopen. He did not specify which businesses, according to the Tennessean. Tennessee has more than 7,200 cases of coronavirus, resulting in 152 deaths.

In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that restrictions on elective surgeries, state parks, and retail businesses selling curbside products would be available next week.

The states’ plans to reopen come just after President Trump announced his own plan for states to “phase” into reopening as early as May 1. Trump has said that some states will be able to reopen businesses earlier than others. Meanwhile, health experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci have cautioned that the road to recovery won’t be like “turning a light switch on and off.” Other experts have called the administration’s plan a “fantasy.”

On Monday, World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the “worst” is still ahead of us, adding that “easing restrictions is not the end of [the] epidemic.” He also said that slowing the spread of the virus will take the effort of individuals, communities, and governments.