People walk in Times Square in New York City as the coronavirus outbreak continues, March 18, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

States around the country are beginning to allow non-essential businesses to open up with stay-at-home orders expiring, after President Donald Trump indicated most can reopen by May 1.

Nine states — Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee — have already begun reopening businesses as their respective restrictions expire.


The president signaled approval of the decisions, tweeting Tuesday that “Many States” were opening “SAFELY & QUICKLY.”

Many States moving to SAFELY & QUICKLY reopen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2020

Alaska’s Republican governor Mike Dunleavy has said that restaurants and retail stores can operate at 25 percent capacity, while hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, gyms, and other personal services can operate with physical distancing.


Colorado Democratic governor Jared Polis said Sunday that his state could begin shifting to a new “safer-at-home” phase for the next month, which allows businesses to reopen with social distancing measures and offices to reopen with up to 50 percent of their workforce.

“Together, Coloradans have been effective in leveling and flattening the curve, but life will remain much more dangerous than usual these next few months and we should all wear masks when in public,” Polis said in a written statement. “Safer-at-home is by no means a free-for-all.”

Georgia governor Brian Kemp — who reportedly sparred with President Trump over his reopening — has scheduled personal care services, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen on April 24, while restaurants began limited dine-in services on Monday.


Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, and Tennessee all announced similar directives. Oklahoma, which never issued a state-wide lockdown, is expected to allow religious and sporting venues to begin reopening on May 1.

“From the beginning it has been my intent to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans, especially our vulnerable populations, and mitigate the impact to Oklahoma’s economy,” Republican governor Kevin Stitt said in a statement on April 24. “As we begin to responsibly implement this measured response to open Oklahoma’s economy back up, we will continue to prioritize the safety of our people and base all decisions on the data in our state.”

A number of states that have expiring stay-at-home orders on May 1, including Texas — whose governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he would begin reopening the state after May 1.

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