Georgia begins reopening

A nail salon in Savannah, Ga., said 60 customers had booked appointments for Friday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, has lifted COVID-19-related restrictions on gyms, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, and other businesses. Movie theaters and dine-in restaurants in the state are scheduled to reopen on Monday. But some Georgia business owners are choosing to wait a little longer to resume operations as deaths and infections from the coronavirus keep rising.

Will other states reopen soon? The pace of restarting the economy varies by state. Oklahoma and Alaska are allowing some nonessential businesses to reopen on Friday. South Carolina has already lifted many restrictions, and Texas may be close behind. A few states are considering ending mandatory closures in early May, while others are taking a more gradual approach, saying reopenings likely will not happen anytime soon.

Dig deeper: Read Joel Belz’s column about the permanent changes the pandemic has brought.