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South Carolina reopens many businesses effective immediately South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday he was reopening many non-essential businesses effective immediately and beaches on Tuesday. The governor announced his decision after other state leaders spoke of tentative plans to reopen the economy in the coming weeks. McMaster's plan included the immediate reopening of retail locations such as department stores, clothing shops and book sellers. Beaches will be open beginning at noon on Tuesday. "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," McMaster said Monday. As of Monday afternoon, there were 4,439 confirmed cases and 124 deaths due to coronavirus in South Carolina. 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 Share this -







Virtually all abortions again blocked in Texas A federal appeals court has again blocked virtually all abortions in Texas. This time around, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has said medication abortions cannot be allowed under an order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbot that prohibits non-essential medical procedures. Abortion is now allowed in the state only for women whose pregnancies will pass the state's limit for legal abortion by April 22. Share this -







Two-thirds of restaurant employees out of work, industry survey says A survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association says that nearly two-thirds of the industry's workforce is now unemployed. The survey, which was released as part of the association's request for federal funding, estimates that more than 8 million restaurant workers have lost their jobs or been furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Restaurant Association estimates that the industry faces more than $240 billion in losses nationwide by the end of 2020. "Its survey reported that more than 60 percent of restaurant owners say that existing federal relief programs—including the CARES Act—will not enable them to keep their employees on payroll during the downturn," the association said in a release Monday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics only has data as recent as last month, but did show a nearly 2.6 percent increase in food service unemployment rates from March 2019 to March 2020. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment in the month of April. Share this -







Coronavirus impact on travel is nine times greater than the 9/11 attacks, new study says One-third of all estimated job losses this year will come from the travel industry, according to a new study. Around 8 million people in the travel and tourism sector will lose their job by the end of 2020 as a result of the decline in travel, the U.S. Travel Association and Oxford Economics said in new data released Monday, noting that it expects a total of 24 million jobless. The total economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic will be about nine times greater than 9/11, the report projected, with a $519 billion decline in travel spending in the U.S. this year and a loss of $1.2 trillion in economic output. Travel declines will also lead to a loss of $80 billion in taxes in 2020, the report said. Share this -







Georgia to begin reopening businesses on Friday Georgia Gov. Kemp announces phase one of reopening businesses April 20, 2020 01:10 Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Monday that the first phase of reopening Georgia businesses will begin this Friday, April 24. Gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studio, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designer, nail care artists and massage therapists will be allowed to resume business on Friday. Kemp said basic health and sanitation standards must be met before any business can reopen, such as screening employees for fever and wearing masks. Theaters, private clubs and restaurants' dine-in services will be allowed to reopen Monday, April 27, Kemp said. Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live performance venues will remain closed for the time being. As of Monday afternoon, there were 18,947 confirmed cases and 733 deaths due to coronavirus in the state of Georgia. Share this -







Federal government preparing workers to head back to the office WASHINGTON — The federal government is preparing to bring employees back to the office as soon as state and local authorities permit, the Office of Management and Budget told government agencies on Monday. Crediting the Trump administration’s “aggressive response” for saving lives, acting OMB director Russ Vought said in a memo to agencies posted Monday on the White House website that the "federal government is actively planning to ramp back up government operations to the maximum extent possible, as local conditions warrant, consistent with the National guidelines for Opening Up America Again.” President Donald Trump last week that outlined a three-phase strategy for states to determine when to bring businesses and services back online. Eighty-five percent of the federal workforce is located outside the Washington, D.C., area, which means different agencies will encounter different scenarios and timelines. “Given the diversity of Federal workforce missions, geographic locations and the needs of individuals within the workforce itself, this transition will require continued diligence and flexibility from Federal agencies and the Federal workforce,” Vought wrote. Share this -







'Vast majority' of businesses in Tennessee to reopen by May 1 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Monday that he will not extend the state's stay-at-home order and plans on reopening businesses next week. Lee announced that his administration plans to work with business leaders in an effort to open doors as soon as April 27, with the state's shelter-in-place order lifting three days later. "The vast majority of businesses in 89 counties (will be) allowed to re-open on May 1," according to a statement from Lee's office. “Social distancing works, and as we open up our economy it will be more important than ever that we keep social distancing as lives and livelihoods depend on it," Lee said. As of Monday afternoon, there were 7,238 confirmed cases and 152 deaths due to coronavirus in Tennessee. NEW: Tennessee Begins Phased Reopening Next Week



Our Economic Recovery Group is working with industry leaders around the clock so that some businesses can open as soon as April 27.



Read more: https://t.co/mWA9rZjyq9 — Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 20, 2020 Share this -







Nurses union sues New York state, claims 'grossly inadequate' coronavirus protections Nurses protest in the Bronx, N.Y., on April 17, 2020. Mary Altaffer / AP A union representing New York nurses filed multiple lawsuits on Monday, accusing the state and two hospitals of allegedly "compromising the health and safety of" members fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The New York State Nurses Association launched state civil complaints against the New York State Department of Health and Westchester Medical Center and a federal lawsuit against Montefiore Medical Center. In addition to more testing, the union is demanding that nurses be better equipped with enough protective N95 masks as they treat patients with COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus. Read the full story here. Share this -







N.J. Gov. Murphy says he plans to announce blueprint to reopen state N.J. Gov. Murphy to release blueprint for reopening state April 20, 2020 02:29 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that he plans in the coming days to announce a blueprint to reopen the state. The Democratic governor did not give a timeline for rescinding his stay-at-home order, but continued to urge non-essential workers to stay indoors and directed those pursuing essential tasks, such as grocery shopping, to adhere to social-distancing guidelines. Murphy said New Jersey is ramping up testing and he wants to see the state bustling again, but he is hesitant to reopen the economy because he is fearful of a “boomerang” effect in which the virus makes a comeback. The state won't get to the point of easing restrictions if residents stop taking social distancing precautions, he said, adding, "This is no time to let up; it's time, if anything ... to bear down as we’ve never ever done before." Murphy also said he talked to President Donald Trump on Monday morning and stressed the need for direct cash assistance to states, adding that Trump signaled that aid could be included in the next stimulus package. New Jersey has seen more than 3,500 new cases as of Monday and 177 new deaths, bringing the total cases in the state to 88,806 and total deaths to 4,377, according to state health officials. Share this -





