As most remain home, some states begin to slowly reopen

While a majority of Americans remain under stay-at-home orders, a handful of states are beginning to open back up this week.

Some tepid workers are returning to their places of work at the direction of governors, and local officials are wondering whether it’s the right decision to ease restrictions.

These are some of the first states to allow businesses to start reopening after what was a near-nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Georgia

In Georgia, restaurants and movie theaters can open back up on Monday, following the Friday order to reopen barbershops, gyms, salons, and more.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on Twitter that his decision to begin reopening is “informed by data and public health recommendations,” but Georgia has not seen the two weeks in downward trend of new cases of COVID-19, which White House guidelines said should occur before economies are restarted.

“I think that it is putting all of us at risk,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said of the decision. Savannah, Georgia mayor Van Johnson said it is “absolutely premature” to reopen and is asking businesses in his city to remain closed.

Colorado

Businesses will also begin reopening in Colorado, under the order of the state’s Democratic governor Jared Polis, who proposed a “safer-at-home” plan that allows some retail stores to offer curbside pickup and restarts one-on-one real estate showings among other services. The JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado that closed because of a coronavirus outbreak that claimed the lives of some workers also reopened.

But Boulder, home to Colorado University’s flagship campus, announced on Thursday that most city buildings will remain closed until at least June 1.

“In the weeks to come, we hope to see 14 consecutive days of decline in COVID-19 cases that will allow us to implement a phased approach to restoring city operations,” Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam said in a press release. “The governor announced that the state will begin to reopen the economy with tight guidelines to prevent a new spike in hospital cases, and we are still working to understand the details of the Safer at Home transition.

Minnesota

Some nonessential business in Minnesota will open too, as a new executive order from the governor will allow workers in “non-customer facing” industries to return who can’t work from home. Democratic Governor Tim Walz says he believe the order will put up to 100,000 Minnesotans back to work.

Mississippi

In Mississippi, some retail stores can reopen with social distancing measures in place, but barbers, gyms, salons, spas and movie theaters must remain closed, unlike in Georgia.

Tennessee

In Tennessee, the “vast majority” of businesses are allowed to reopen Monday, where Republican Gov. Bill Lee said he decided not to extend the state’s stay-at-home order past April.

“These businesses will open according to specific guidance that we will provide in accordance with state and national experts in both medicine and business,” Lee said in a statement announcing his plans for the state economy.

Montana

Montana, meanwhile, ended some of its stay-at-home order on Sunday, allowing worship services to restart under social distancing guidelines and retail business to operate on Monday. Restaurants and bars will follow suit on May 4 under strict guidelines and with reduced capacity, and schools have the option to reopen on May 7. The state is keeping movie theaters and gyms closed.

Montana has recorded a low number of cases throughout the pandemic, with less than 500 reported residents sick and 14 deaths, according to an NBC News tally. Citing the state’s lowest number of hospitalizations per capita, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said the state is ready to cautiously open up.

“We have slowed the spread of this virus and saved lives,” Bullock wrote in his reopening plan. “These collective actions have allowed us to get to where we are — to begin a phased reopening of the state.”