Some states in the US have already begun easing coronavirus restrictions as reports of new cases start to plateau in pockets of the country. But the slow return to more traditional routines is fragmented — not to mention highly controversial — because some states are opening sooner than others.
Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska, and South Carolina began reopening their economies, according to The Hill, with the return of tattoo parlors, hair salons, and some shopping malls. Other states also plan to lift stay-at-home orders later this week including, Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, and Maine.
In order to reopen safely, epidemiologists say it is necessary to see a steady 14-day decline in coronavirus cases, hospitals must be able to safely treat all patients at non-crisis levels, states must be able to test every person who has symptoms, and be capable of extensive contact tracing and isolation of active cases, according to a report by The New York Times.
But not all of the states reopening have met these criteria, including Georgia, which did not show a steady 14-decline in cases before reopening. Premature reopenings risk people's lives with the chance of sparking a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
Yet despite the risks, some governors are choosing to reopen. Here's what that looks like so far in states such as South Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma.
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