MORE THAN HALF OF US STATES WILL PARTIALLY REOPEN THIS WEEK
More than half of the United States will be partially reopen by the end of the week when many states’ stay-at-home orders are set to expire.
Governors across the country have been announcing whether they will begin phased reopenings of their states when many of their orders expire this week or wait a few weeks more. At least 28 states will have loosened coronavirus restrictions by Friday.
There are more than 1 million reported cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 60,966 deaths.
It is a serious illness but it probably doesn’t warrant a continued draconian lockdown any longer. Our economy is crashing and burning. We need to reopen.
It seems like Drs. Fauci and Birx are moving to the back burner.
You can read the list of when all 50 states plan to reopen on this link. or read here:
Alabama
Alabama’s stay-at-home order expires April 30. Gov. Kay Ivey (R) plans to follow state task force recommendations, which include first allowing small retailers, restaurants and other businesses to reopen with protective measures in place.
Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Alaska
Alaska’s stay-at-home order expired last week. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) has issued multiple health mandates that various industries “must” follow between April 24 to at least May 20. Non-essential businesses are still closed under the mandates. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Arizona
Arizona’s stay-at-home order expires April 30. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) says he’s “working with industry and business leaders on a plan for economic recovery.” He announced Wednesday that elective medical procedures would be allowed to resume May 1 with restrictions. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Arkansas
Arkansas does not have a stay-at-home order. On April 18, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) launched an economic recovery task force and said he hopes to begin to ease restrictions in the state on May 4.
Public schools are closed in the state for the rest of the school year.
California
There is no set end date for California’s stay-at-home order. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has joined a multistate task force, along with Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, to discuss reopening. He warned that some restrictions, such as masks in restaurants and bans against large gatherings, will stay in place through the summer. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Colorado
The state’s stay-at-home order expired April 26. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis(D) has said social distancing measures will remain in place until “scientists are able to deliver a truly effective clinical treatment” for COVID-19. He said as of April 26, the state is entering a “safer at home” phase where residents are recommended to stay home but not required to. Retail businesses were allowed to reopen for curbside delivery and elective medical procedures were permitted to resume on April 27. Starting Friday, “personal service” businesses like hair salons can reopen if they have fewer than 10 people in the business at one time. Schools are closed through the end of the school year.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s stay-at-home order expires May 20. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has set up an advisory board to decide how to reopen the state that last week indicated the state would start to reopen sometime in June. Connecticut is allied with Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island in a multistate effort to coordinate reopening.
Delaware
Delaware’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Gov. John Carney (D) has said the state is far from ready to reopen for business. The state is conducting town halls to gain feedback from small business leaders over the next few weeks. Schools will be closed through the rest of the school year.
“But the overall message that we’re opening up as if it’s tomorrow for me is the wrong message here in Delaware,’’ Carney told local public radio station WHYY. “I’m still saying, stay at home. Stay safe. We’re still not out of this. We still have not peaked and we will do everything we can to open when the conditions are right.”
District of Columbia
The city’s stay-at-home order expires May 15. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) extended school closures for the remainder of the school year.
Florida
Florida’s stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30. Gov. Ron DeSantis(R) gave a task force until April 24 to come up with a plan to safely reopen the state. Beaches reopened for “essential activities” in parts of the state on April 17.
After saying he might reopen schools before the end of the school year, DeSantis said April 18 that K-12 schools would be closed for the rest of the school year.
Georgia
Georgia’s stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced April 20 he would allow some businesses, including gyms and hair salons, to reopen and elective surgeries to resume beginning April 24. Schools are closed in the state through the rest of the school year.
Hawaii
Hawaii’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Gov. David Ige (D) has said he’s taking a “phased-in” approach to reopening the state for business. He is allowing exercise on beaches with appropriate social distancing measures. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Idaho
Idaho’s stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30. Gov. Brad Little (R) extended the order despite opposition within his own party. He has said some nonessential businesses can reopen on May 1, so long as they “prepare operational plans” that include limits on the number of people in a business at a time.
Illinois
Illinois’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Some restrictions will be loosened starting May 1, including resuming elective surgeries and allowing curbside service at retail stores. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is coordinating reopening the state with the governors of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Indiana
Indiana’s stay-at-home order expires April 30. Some businesses, like dentists, greenhouses, and pet groomers, are allowed to reopen with restrictions next week. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) has warned not all restrictions will be dropped on May 1 but said that “we are thinking early May” for starting to ease additional rules. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Iowa
Iowa has the “equivalent” of a stay-at-home order until April 30. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has mandated through a State Public Health Emergency Declaration that all nonessential businesses remain closed until then. She is allowing churches to reopen this week, and restaurants and stores in less-populous counties to reopen at 50 percent capacity on May 1. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Kansas
Kansas’s stay-at-home order is set to expire May 3. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has said she’s working on a plan to reopen the state but expressed frustrationthat testing capacity is “nowhere near” where it needs to be to reopen safely. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Kentucky
Kentucky’s “Healthy at Home” order has no set end date. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced last week that “phase one” of the state’s gradual reopening began April 27 with allowing non-essential medical services to resume with restrictions. He plans to follow federal benchmarks for reopening.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said April 17 that the state is “not where we need to be” to reopen, but he expects to be closer by May 1. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Maine
Maine’s stay-at-home order is set to expire April 30. Gov. Janet Mills (D) said she is planning a “phased-in” reopening, “tailored to the demographics and various economic sectors of our state.”
“In its planning, the Maine CDC will also develop measures to detect a resurgence in the virus that may necessitate the reimplementation of restrictions,” Mills has warned.
Maryland
Maryland does not have an end date for its stay-at-home order or its executive order to wear face coverings in any retail business or on public transportation. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has promised a “gradual rollout” of any plan to reopen, and plans to reopen businesses based on their classification as low, medium and high risk. Schools are closed until May 15.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is under a stay-at-home advisory until May 4. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year, and day care centers are closed until the end of June.
Michigan
Michigan’s stay-at-home order now expires May 15. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Friday, in extending the order, also loosened restrictionson activities like boating and golfing, and allowing retailers like Walmart to resume selling nonessential items in stores. Schools remain closed through the rest of the school year.
Michigan and several other states last weekend saw small groups protesting that stay-at-home orders infringe on personal rights. Some protesters specifically pointed to restrictions like the ones on big box stores.
Minnesota
Minnesota’s stay-at-home order expires May 4. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz(D) allowed some recreational activities, including golfing, boating, fishing, hunting and hiking, to restart on April 18. The state’s public schools are closed through the rest of the year.
Mississippi
Mississippi’s stay-at-home order expired April 27. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said Friday that the state is in a “safer at home” phase lasting until at least May 11, during which residents are recommended to stay home but not required to. Retail stores are allowed to begin reopening at 50 percent capacity, but restaurants are to remain limited to pick-up and curbside service. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Missouri
Missouri’s stay-at-home order is set to expire May 3. Gov. Mike Parson (R) has said Missouri’s “reopening efforts will be careful, deliberate, and done in phases,” and that some local municipalities — including Kansas City and St. Louis — will leave restrictions in place longer than those at the state level. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Montana
Montana’s stay-at-home order expired April 24. Gov. Steve Bullock (D) has announced a phased reopening. Churches reopened April 26. Retail businesses were allowed to reopen starting April 27 at reduced capacity. Schools are allowed to reopen May 7, along with restaurants at reduced capacity.
Nebraska
Nebraska does not have a stay-at-home order. Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) announced that churches, restaurants — though not bars or buffets — day cares and salons will be allowed to reopen May 4. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Nevada
Nevada’s stay-at-home order ends April 30. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has indicated he’s reluctant to reopen the state too soon and has not set specific dates for loosening restrictions.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s stay-at-home order expires May 4. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has said the state is “not anywhere near” fully reopening. Schools are closed in the state for the rest of the school year.
New Jersey
New Jersey’s stay-at-home order does not have an end date. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Sunday the state is “a number of weeks away” from reopening and previously warned “there will be blood on our hands” if the order is lifted too soon. Schools in the state are closed until May 15.
New Mexico
New Mexico’s stay-at-home order now ends May 15. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has called for “a thoughtful, staged and flexible reopening” of the state.
New York
New York’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Schools are also closed until then.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has said it’s time to “start opening the valve slowly and carefully” and that upstate New York may reopen more quickly than New York City. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has closed schools through the rest of the school year and cancelled nonessential events through June.
North Carolina
North Carolina’s stay-at-home order now expires May 8. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has said he plans to lift the restrictions in three phases, not “all at once.” Schools are closed until May 15.
North Dakota
North Dakota does not have a stay-at-home order. However, nonessential businesses are closed in the state through April 30. Gov. Doug Burgum (R) plans to partially reopen the state on May 1. Schools are closed “until further notice” but school facilities are allowed to reopen for some activities in May.
“The vast majority of North Dakota’s economy has remained open through this crisis. Our success against the coronavirus has hinged on a low-mandate, high-compliance approach, and North Dakotans have done their part to slow the spread through social distancing and other measures,” Burgum said Monday. “Now, as we move into the next stage with an even lighter touch of government mandates, we’re counting even more on the individual responsibility of citizens and employers.”
Ohio
Ohio’s stay-at-home order will expire May 1. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says the state will begin to “open back up” on that date with a “phased-in” approach. Schools are closed through the rest of the academic year.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has a “safer-at-home” order, which recommends people over age 65 stay home, until May 6. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) indicated he hopes the state can begin reopening May 1 if the “downward” trend in cases continues. He allowed previously suspended elective surgeries to resume as of April 24. Schools are closed for the rest of the academic year.
Oregon
Oregon’s stay-at-home order does not have an end date yet. Many businesses are also closed indefinitely. Gov. Kate Brown (D) plans a “smart and deliberate” reopening for the state in phases, beginning by allowing “non-urgent” medical procedures to restart on May 1. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order expires May 8. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has said he plans to ease restrictions starting then on construction, curbside alcohol pickup and vehicle sales. His plan to reopen calls for phases and includes different timelines for different regions of the state.
“I want to caution that we will not be resuming operations as they were in February,” Wolf said April 20. “We’re going to continue to take precautions that limit our physical contact with others, and we will closely monitor this to see if it can be done safely.”
Schools are closed the rest of the school year.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s stay-at-home order expires May 8. Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) plans to reopen on an industry by industry basis, in phases, and has expressed hope that parks and state beaches could reopen in May. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
South Carolina
Gov. Henry McMaster (R) extended South Carolina’s “state of emergency” order closing all nonessential businesses to May 8. Some public beaches and retail stores, including department stores and bookstores, reopened starting April 20. Public schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
South Dakota
South Dakota does not have a stay-at-home order. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) issued recommendations for getting the state “back to normal.” She has said social distancing efforts have worked to “flatten the curve” in the state, saying the one “hot spot” was the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls. Schools are closed in the state through the rest of the year.
Tennessee
Tennessee’s stay-at-home order expires until April 30. Gov. Bill Lee (R) said April 20 that “the vast majority of businesses” will be allowed to re-open. Tennessee state parks reopened April 24, and restaurants were allowed to open for dine-in service with reduced capacity on April 27. Elective surgeries will be allowed to resume starting Friday. Lee has asked that all public schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, although each individual district has to adopt his recommendation.
Texas
Texas’s stay-at-home order ends April 30. State parks reopened on April 20 and some stores started offering “retail to go” starting April 24, with face coverings required. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Monday that restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores could reopen at 25 percent capacity starting May 1.
State schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year.
Utah
Utah’s equivalent of a stay-at-home order expires May 1. Gov. Gary Herbert (R) has said he hopes to reopen the state in three phases starting at the beginning of May. He said he hopes to reopen sit-down dining and gyms and allow elective surgeries starting on May 1. Herbert’s phased plan indicates some “stabilization” efforts that will likely include some ongoing social distancing continuing through September. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Vermont
Vermont’s stay-at-home order ends May 15. Schools are closed through the rest of the academic year.
Gov. Phil Scott (R) allowed some “low contact” to reopen with a limited two-person staff beginning April 20.
Virginia
Virginia’s stay-at-home order expires June 10. All K-12 schools are closed through the rest of the school year. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) extended his order closing essential businesses through May 8. Nonessential medical procedures can resume May 1.
Washington
Washington’s stay-at-home order expires May 4. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said Tuesday, “We will not be able to lift many of the restrictions by May 4.” He has said the state is “not close” to reopening.
Washington schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
West Virginia
West Virginia allowed certain medical professionals ranging from therapists to pharmacists to return to work April 30. Elective medical procedures resumed April 28. Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced Thursday that non-essential businesses including restaurants with takeaway service or outdoor dining options, churches and salons could resume service starting May 4. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order expires May 26. Gov. Tony Evers (D) plans a phased reopening. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.
Wyoming
Wyoming does not have a stay-at-home order. However, Gov. Mark Gordon (R) has used orders to prohibit gatherings of 10 or more people and close schools and businesses like restaurants. Those orders end April 30 and the governor has said he plans to loosen restrictions in the next week.
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