Six states announced an official end date to the stay-at-home orders implemented by their respective governors. Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas announced they will be reopening their local businesses in the coming weeks.
Georgia
Georgia is the earliest state to reopen businesses. Gov. Brian Kemp announced businesses can reopen with minimum basic operations this Friday, April 24. These businesses include: gyms, bowling alleys, body art studios, hair salons, nail care, estheticians, and training schools.
“Minimum Basic Operations includes, but is not limited to, screening workers for fever and respiratory illness, enhancing workplace sanitation, wearing masks & gloves if appropriate, separating workspaces by six feet, teleworking if possible & implementing staggered shifts,” Kemp tweeted.
Due to favorable data & more testing, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools & massage therapists can reopen Friday, April 24 with Minimum Basic Operations. #gapol
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) April 20, 2020
On April 27, by following specific social distancing and sanitation mandates, restaurants with dine-in services, movie theaters, and private social clubs will also be allowed to reopen.
The Georgia governor specifically stated bars, nightclubs, amusement park rides, and live performance venues will remain closed. The shelter-in-place mandate in place for most Georgians is set to expire April 30.
Alabama
Alabama’s stay-at-home order is also set to expire on April 30. Gov. Kay Ivey said she plans to follow Alabama’s state task force recommendations. The first businesses to open on May 1 will be small retailers, restaurants, and other businesses who operate with protective measures in place.
Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is reopening the state under the same guidelines as Alabama. However, on April 17, DeSantis opened the state’s beaches. Floridians are allowed to enjoy their beaches so long as they abide by the state’s social distancing guidelines.
Tennessee
In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee said his stay-at-home order will not be extended past April 30, and that some businesses around the state will begin reopening next week, although he has not specified which type of businesses are in the clear yet.
Lee also stated he wants more testing before getting all Tennesseans back to work.
“This morning, I spoke with Vice President Mike Pence and our nation’s governors regarding expanded testing capacity and Tennessee’s aggressive push to test outside of traditional COVID-19 symptoms. Ramping up our testing and health care capacity is a critical step to get Tennesseans back to work safely,” Lee tweeted on Monday.
This morning, I spoke with @VP and our nation's governors regarding expanded testing capacity & Tennessee's aggressive push to test outside of traditional COVID-19 symptoms. Ramping up our testing & health care capacity is a critical step to get Tennesseans back to work safely.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 20, 2020
Texas
On April 17, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced state parks would reopen for day-use only on Monday, April 20. Stores that offer “retail to-go” can reopen as early as April 24. Abbott also announced the Strike Force to Open Texas, a team of nationally recognized medical experts and private and public leaders who will provide guidance to the governor on how to safely reopen Texas.
The Lone Star State has shown that we can continue our efforts to contain #COVID19 while also adopting safe standards that will allow us to begin to Open Texas and overcome this pandemic.@GSF_OpenTexas #TexasBizhttps://t.co/xunPDOiwFN pic.twitter.com/VqmXDSAePq
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) April 17, 2020
South Carolina
South Carolina’s shelter-in-place order is set to expire April 27. Gov. Henry McMaster restored access to public beaches and some retailers, but cautioned people to follow all recommendations from public experts.
I've restored public beach access, allowing locals to use their discretion. I've also allowed some retailers that were previously closed to open, but they must follow strict social distancing measures.
Please stay safe and follow all recommendations from public health experts. https://t.co/pnemrtKI2j
— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) April 20, 2020
