A handful of US states are now looking to ease coronavirus lockdowns as President Donald Trump outlined guidelines for a phased reopening of the devastated economy.
Texas has become the first state to commit to partially reopening from April 20, while Michigan, Wisconsin and Idaho have all expressed plans to reopen in some form by May 1 when the federal guidelines for social distancing expire.
Some states, like hard-hit New York, had already committed this week to extending lockdown measures into at least mid-May.
About 95 percent of the country currently remains on some form of lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Seven states – Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming – still have no stay-at-home orders in place for its residents.
It comes after Trump on Thursday gave the nation’s governors his road map for how the US can reopen businesses and schools shut down by the coronavirus. The new three-phase guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations like New York.
Just one day after laying out his roadmap, Trump urged his supporters to ‘LIBERATE’ the states of Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota – effectively encouraging protests against the stay-at-home restrictions.
Protesters began taking to the streets this week to demand governors rethink the restrictions in various states after the sweeping stay-at-home orders, shuttered businesses, disrupted lives and decimated the economy.
Trump’s guidelines to reopen the country largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors who have primary responsibility for public health in their states.
Here’s where each state is with current lockdown measures and plans moving forward:
Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday plans to start reopening from April 20 – starting with public parks and retailers on a ‘to-go’ basis.
New guidelines:
From April 20: State parks will reopen. People must wear face coverings and masks and adhere to social distancing. People also cannot visit in groups of five or more
From April 22: Hospitals can start resuming surgeries that had been postponed by coronavirus but only if they do not take away from the hospital’s capacity to treat COVID-19 and if the hospital reserves 25 percent of its beds for COVID-19 patients.
From April 24: Retailers can reopen but only if they can deliver their goods or services to people at home or in their cars to minimize contact.
Schools and universities will remain closed for the rest of the year.
Previous guidelines that are still in place:
Stay-at-home order still exists through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Air travelers flying to Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana or Washington – or Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami – must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Alabama
Stay-at-home order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Non-essential businesses closed to the public
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only
Alaska
Indefinite stay-at-home order.
10 person limit on gatherings.
Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work.
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only.
Travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Arizona
Stay-at-home order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only
Trump on Thursday gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out ‘a phased and deliberate approach’ to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases
Arkansas
No state-wide stay-at-home order
10 person limit on gatherings – doesn’t apply to unenclosed outdoor spaces or places of worship
Gym and entertainment venues closed, hotels and vacation rentals restricted to authorized guests
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only
California
Indefinite stay-at-home order
Gatherings in a single room or place prohibited
Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only
Colorado
Stay-at-home order through April 26
Public and private gatherings of any number prohibited with limited exceptions
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Restaurants and bars limited to takeout only
Connecticut
Stay-at-home order through May 20
Five person limit on social gatherings, 50-person limit for religious services
Non-essential businesses must suspend all in-person operations
Out-of-state visitors strongly urged to self-quarantine
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Delaware
Stay-at-home order through May 15
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state who aren’t just passing through must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Ohio: . About 100 protesters assembled outside the building during Gov. Mike DeWine’s weekday update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, upset that the state remains under a Stay-At-Home order and that non-essential businesses remain closed
Thousands of furious demonstrators have gathered at Michigan’s state Capitol, creating a massive traffic jam filled with honking cars and flag-waving protesters in defiance of the state’s stringent statewide stay-at-home orders on Wednesday. Protesters, some showing off guns, pictured on the front steps of Lansing’s Capitol building urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lift her lockdown mandate
Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave the all-clear for some beaches and parks to reopen from April 17 if it could be done safely
Stay-at-home order through April 30
No social gatherings public spaces – with religious exemptions
Nonessential services closed to the public – but gun stores remain open
Visitors from COVID-19 hot spots such as New York must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Georgia
Shelter-in-place order until April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Hawaii
Stay-at-home order at least through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Idaho
Stay-at-home order through April 30
Non-essential gatherings prohibited
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Illinois
Stay-at-home order through at least April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Indiana
Stay-at-home order through April 20, but likely to be extended
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Iowa
No stay-at-home order
Nonessential businesses ordered to close until April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Kansas
Stay-at-home order until May 3
10 person limit on gatherings – exempting funerals and religious services with social distancing
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Residents who traveled to California, Florida, New York or Washington state after March 14, or visited Illinois or New Jersey after March 22, must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Kentucky
No stay-at-home order
Mass gatherings prohibited, smaller gatherings allowed with social distancing
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Louisiana
Stay-at-home order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Maine
‘Stay healthy at home’ executive order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Maryland
Indefinite stay-at-home order
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Massachusetts
Non-essential businesses closed through May 4
10 person limit on gatherings
Visitors from out of state advised to self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Michigan
Stay-at-home order through April 30
Public gatherings prohibited – with religious exemptions
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Minnesota
Stay-at-home order through May 3
Entertainment and performance venues closed
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Mississippi
Stay at home order through April 20
Schools closed through the end of the semester
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Missouri
Stay Home Missouri’ order through April 24
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses must enforce social distancing
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Montana
Stay-at-home order through April 24
Nonessential social and recreational gatherings prohibited
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Nebraska
No stay-at-home order
Hair salons, tattoo parlors and strip clubs closed through May 31
10 person limit on gatherings
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Nevada
Stay-at-home order through April 30.
10 person limit on gatherings
Recreational, entertainment and personal-care businesses closed, including casinos
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
New Hampshire
Stay-at-home order through May 4
Nine person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
New Jersey
Indefinite stay-at-home order
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential retail businesses must close bricks-and-mortar premises. Recreational and entertainment businesses also closed
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
New Mexico
Stay-at-home order through April 30
Five person limit on gatherings in a single room
Nonessential businesses must suspend all in-person operations
Arriving air travelers must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
New York
Stay-at-home order through May 15
Nonessential gatherings prohibited
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Masks must be worn in situations where social distancing is not possible
North Carolina
Stay-at-home order through April 29
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
North Dakota
No stay-at-home order
Schools, restaurants, fitness centers, movie theaters and salons closed
No state-wide directive on gatherings
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Ohio
Stay-at-home order through May 1
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Oklahoma
‘Safer at Home’ order until April 30 for people over the age of 65 and other vulnerable residents
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses must suspend services
Visitors arriving from New York, California, Louisiana and Washington must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Oregon
Indefinite stay-at-home order
25 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Pennsylvania
Stay-at-home order through April 30
Gatherings prohibited
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Rhode Island
Stay-at-home order through May 8
Five person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
South Carolina
‘State of Emergency’ executive order extended through at least April 27
Three person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
South Dakota
No stay-at-home order
Unnecessary gatherings of 10 or more prohibited
Tennessee
Stay-at-home order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Texas
Stay-at-home order through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Air travelers flying to Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana or Washington – or Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami – must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Utah
No stay-at-home order
10 person limit on gatherings
Businesses must minimize face-to-face contact with high-risk employees
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Vermont
Stay-at-home order through May 15
10 person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Virginia
Stay-at-home order through June 10
Recreation and entertainment businesses closed through May 8
10 person limit on gatherings
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Washington
Stay-at-home order through May 4
All gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational purposes are prohibited
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
West Virginia
Indefinite stay-at-home order
Five-person limit on gatherings
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Visitors from coronavirus hotspots must self-quarantine for 14 days
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Wisconsin
‘Safer at Home’ order prohibits all nonessential travel until May 26
All public and private gatherings are prohibited with limited exceptions.
Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
Self-quarantine recommended for out-of-state visitors
Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
Wyoming
No stay-at-home order – but social distancing restrictions through April 30
10 person limit on gatherings in a confined space
Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only
Anyone entering the state except for essential work must quarantine for 14 days