Frustration with COVID-19 limits heats up

Demonstrators gathered in cities in at least a dozen states over the weekend to demand relief from COVID-19 restrictions that have put so many out of work. Some rallies drew a few hundred people. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, warned protesters that breaking stay-at-home orders could “backfire” by allowing the coronavirus to resurge.

How much longer will the lockdowns last? Some states are moving toward slowly reopening their economies. Retail stores in Texas can soon begin selling merchandise with curbside service, and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries. Florida has reopened a few beaches and parks. Six Midwestern states signed an agreement to coordinate reopening after May 1. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Southeastern governors held a conference call to discuss getting people back to work.

Dig deeper: Read the “Opening Up America Again” plan directed at state and local officials and released by the White House on Friday.