Many states have already begun to end their coronavirus lockdown in certain areas after the peak of the virus is now in the past.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that areas of the state will gradually begin to reopen in the coming weeks, with stores able to begin ‘to go’ service starting April 24. He said that restrictions on certain procedures will be lifted and state parks will open as well. However, park visitors will still be required to take safety precautions such as wearing masks and staying six feet away from other people. He is still requiring that schools remain closed for the rest of the academic year.
Certain beaches in Florida and South Carolina are starting to open as well. One Florida beach drew attention as the media broadcasted a picture of a “live” photo that appeared to be full of people not practicing social distancing. However, it was later discovered that the picture was from spring break 2019. The realistic depiction of how many people were at the Jacksonville beach showed just a handful of people at the location.
Many other states, including Alabama, Utah, and Vermont, are set to reopen soon, as early as May 1. Other states, like Georgia, have not officially announced that their states will reopen but are making preparations for their states to open after the ‘stay at home’ restrictions are lifted on April 1.
As the president said in a press briefing last week, some states will be able to safely open up very soon as they are not nearly as infected but will still insist on social distancing and utilizing masks. Places like New York will likely be the last to do so as it accounts for the majority of the country’s cases.
The country will slowly start to open back up, which is exciting for those whose livelihoods and sanity depend on it.