Many U.S. states are opening up beaches and other tourist hot spots just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the unofficial start of summer.
States continue to lift more restrictions on business and personal activity imposed about two months ago to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the biggest changes are in Texas, which is allowing activity in bars, child-care facilities and professional sports without spectators for the first time, as well as boost the seating capacity allowed at restaurants in almost all parts of the state.
But not all measures are proceeding as planned. Maine said it no longer will allow gyms, fitness centers and nail salons to reopen June 1 as first planned. Connecticut pushed back the reopening date for hair salons to June 1 just before it begins taking other measures to reopen on May 20. It also now says gyms will remain closed until at least June 20 unless the current order is modified; it had previously suggested June 2 was a possibility.
Among other states, Indiana is moving up its next level of reopening by two days to May 22 and will start allowing gatherings of up to 100 people. Alaska will allow all businesses, including bars, restaurants and gyms, to reopen at full capacity on May 22. North Carolina’s new phase, beginning at 5 p.m. on May 22, will let restaurants and some other businesses reopen.
Michigan’s governor will allow some businesses in the northern part of the state, a popular tourist destination, to reopen on May 23, and Massachusetts retailers will be allowed to start offering curbside pickup on May 25. Most offices also can reopen then, with capacity limits.
Mississippi is set to allow casinos to reopen on May 21, a few days after casinos in Louisiana. West Virginia is allowing outdoor recreational rentals to resume May 21 and will lift the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors at the same time, but it is limiting campsites to state residents only. Maine is allowing private campsites to open on May 22 but also only for state residents.
Beaches in New Jersey and Delaware will open on May 22. New York will reopen beaches as well for Memorial Day weekend — except in New York City. Connecticut beaches were never closed. In Virginia, only beaches in Virginia Beach will be allowed to open in time for Memorial Day. Massachusetts beaches reopen May 25, the same day that Rhode Island is opening two state beaches.
States began loosening restrictions on businesses in late April, although rules remain restrictive in many of the country’s economic hubs, including the New York City area, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, Illinois, including Chicago, now may allow restaurants to open for outdoor dining only at the end of the month.
The latest developments again show how what’s allowed continues to vary widely by state, as has been the case since the first states acted a few weeks ago, and almost always still includes plenty of restrictions.
Some governors are loosening rules in select parts of their states, rather than everywhere. Social distancing remains a constant, and face coverings are increasingly required in stores. Los Angeles County has ordered that face masks are mandatory whenever people are outside their homes. Some states, including Florida and Texas, continue to require self-quarantine for travelers and visitors from certain states for two weeks. Montana is lifting its self-quarantine rule on June 1, earlier than had been expected.
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At Walt Disney World in Florida, a small number of shops and restaurants at Disney Springs that are owned by others started to reopen on May 20. But for some entertainment venues, reopening remains distant — if at all.
In New York, Broadway theaters have announced they will remain closed through at least Labor Day weekend. The move by the Broadway League, the national trade association for the theater industry underscores how difficult it could be for some industries, particularly in entertainment, to recover from the coronavirus. Broadway performances have been suspended since March 12, before many states implemented stay-at-home orders. The popular Disney musical “Frozen” won’t reopen, making it the first Broadway show to officially close during the pandemic.
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Sports are trying to resume. Major League Baseball has a plan to start the season in July — but would keep fans out of ballparks. Many NBA teams have reopened training facilities for voluntary workouts. Germany’s Bundesliga, one of the world’s premier soccer leagues, resumed play over the weekend with no fans in attendance, no handshakes or post-goal embraces, and other achievable social distancing and cautionary measures observed.
An impatient President Donald Trump has been pushing governors to move quickly and has vocalized, notably on Twitter, his support for protesters in several state capitals calling for states to reopen. He has called on states to work to reopen schools, despite warnings from health officials.
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The economic toll of the coronavirus has been widespread. Unemployment in April surged to 14.7% as 20.5 million people lost their jobs in that month alone, after the economy contracted at a 4.8% annualized pace in the first quarter. States generally only began shutting down parts of their economies in mid-March, and economists fear second-quarter data will be grimmer than the first-quarter figures were.
In the weeks since the virus shut down much of the U.S. economy, more than 36 million people have applied for unemployment benefits, though some have since returned to work as businesses reopen.
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Here’s what some states have announced:
Texas: Bars across almost all of the state can open at 25% capacity on May 22. Restaurants, which have been allowed to operate at 25% capacity since May 1, can boost that to 50% then. Bowling alleys, bingo halls, rodeos and some other recreational options also reopen. Five counties — El Paso County and four in the Texas Panhandle — will wait until May 29 to reopen. Child care, tattoo parlors, gyms, offices and some other businesses were allowed to reopen May 18. Day camps, overnight youth camps and pro sports minus the fans can start up on May 31. All retail stores, malls, movie theaters, libraries and museums reopened as of May 1 at 25% capacity. Outdoor sports like tennis and golf were allowed to resume then with groups of no more than four people. Hair and nail salons were allowed to reopen May 8.
The state continues to require a 14-day self-quarantine for travelers arriving from airports in California, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Washington, as well as Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Miami. It has lifted self-quarantine rules for travelers from Louisiana.
Alaska: All businesses can fully reopen on May 23 as the state simultaneously implements its third and fourth phases. The state had taken the first moves toward reopening in late April.
North Carolina: Restaurants, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors and other personal-care businesses can reopen at 50% capacity as of 5 p.m. on May 22, with restrictions. Pools and camps also can reopen. Bars, gyms and indoor entertainment venues remain closed. The state will now suggest no more than 25 people at outdoor gatherings and only 10 when indoors. Houses of worship are exempt from the guidance. Some nonessential businesses were allowed to reopen late on May 8 at 50% capacity.
Michigan: Bars and restaurants in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula regions — 7.5% of the state’s population — can reopen May 22 at 50% capacity and with other restrictions. Retail stores can open at 25% capacity, also with other restrictions. Manufacturers were allowed to reopen on May 11 after certain safety measures have been put in place. Real-estate showings have resumed. Garden stores, nurseries, and lawn care, pest control and landscaping operations have been allowed to reopen, subject to limits on the number of people allowed at one time. Big stores that sold garden supplies also have been allowed to resume selling them. Boating and golf also are allowed.
New Jersey: The Jersey Shore beaches reopen on May 22, with local governments deciding how many people are allowed at a time. Boardwalk rides and arcades will remain closed, and restaurants there will still only be allowed to offer take-out and delivery. Nonessential businesses can reopen for curbside pickup on May 18, and all construction can resume then, as well. Drive-in and drive-through events, including graduation ceremonies, are allowed. Golf courses and state and county parks reopened on May 2. However, playgrounds will remain closed, and picnics and team sports won’t be allowed.
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West Virginia: The state moves into its “week four” reopenings on May 21 and will start allowing indoor restaurant seating at 50% capacity. Large retailers will be allowed to open. Rentals of kayaks, boats, bicycles and other outdoor recreation equipment can resume then too. Outdoor guided fishing and rock climbing is allowed as of May 15. Hair and nail salons have already been allowed to reopen. Low-contact youth sports can return on June 8.
Virginia: Beaches in Virginia Beach open May 22. Beginning May 15, nonessential retail businesses can open at 50% capacity and restaurants can offer outdoor dining, also with restrictions. Religious services can resume at 50% capacity, as well. Telework continues to be encouraged. The new rules don’t apply to the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., the state’s economic engine. Nonemergency doctor visits were allowed to resume May 1.
Vermont: Hotels, B&Bs and campgrounds can open on May 22 with restrictions. But out-of-state visitors must still self-quarantine for 14 days. An announcement about outdoor dining is expected by June 1. Retail stores were allowed to reopen on May 18 after operating with curbside pickup and delivery services since late April. Crews of no more than two were allowed to resume outdoor work and construction in unoccupied buildings beginning April 20.
Indiana: Gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed beginning May 22, when the state moves to the next phase of its reopening plan in all but three counties. Capacity limits on retail stores, which had begun to reopen on May 4, can operate at 75% capacity. Gyms, swimming pools, campgrounds and movie theaters also can reopen with restrictions. Recreational sports practices can begin. Bars remain closed. Marion County, where Indianapolis is based, Lake County in northwest Indiana and Cass County, where a meat-packing facility is based, loosen on June 1.
Gov. Eric Holcomb has said he aims for businesses to be fully open on July 4 and conventions, sports events, fairs, festivals and the state fair to be allowed, all with social distancing. Face coverings would be optional.
Illinois: Outdoor restaurant seating now will be allowed in the state’s third phrase of reopening expected on May 29. State parks also have been added to the list. It already includes nonessential businesses (including barbers and hair salons) and manufacturers to reopen, on May 29. Chicago also is now on track to move to that phase with the rest of the state. Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries were allowed to reopen on May 1; other retailers, including department stores, can offer curbside pickup and delivery. Elective surgeries can resume. Some parks are reopening, and boating with no more than two people, as well as golf, is allowed.
Florida: The Florida Keys will lift checkpoints keeping out visitors on June 1, and hotels there will be allowed to open at 50% capacity.
Rental properties remain closed in the state; county officials can begin submitting plans on May 18 for allowing them to reopen with restrictions, including those on who is allowed to rent. (Hint: New York City renters not welcome.)
Florida continues to require those coming from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Louisiana to self-isolate or self-quarantine for 14 days.
Beginning May 4, restaurants in most parts of the state could resume sit-down service at 25% capacity indoors and with social distancing outdoors. Retailers can reopen at 25% capacity. Elective surgeries can resume. Hair salons and other personal services as well as gyms remain closed. Palm Beach County joined the counties operating under those restrictions on May 11, and Miami-Dade and Broward counties, populous counties with more instances of COVID-19 illnesses, followed on May 18. Beaches are open.
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Connecticut: The state allowed outdoor restaurant seating to resume on May 20 as will offices and retailers, with limits. Outdoor areas in zoos and museums as well as campsites could reopen. Plans to allow hair salons to reopen have been pushed back to early June. Under current rules, bars that don’t serve food remain closed until at least June 20, as will gyms, theaters, nail salons and tattoo parlors. Summer camps will reopen June 29. Anyone traveling to the state should continue to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Massachusetts: Manufacturing, construction, houses of worship and some medical treatments were allowed to reopen on May 18 with restrictions. On May 25, hair salons, curbside pickup for retailers, office spaces and some recreation can resume. Boston office spaces will be allowed to open on June 1.
Rhode Island: Restaurants were allowed to begin offering limited outdoor dining on May. 18. “Noncritical” retail stores were allowed to reopen on May 9 with capacity limits. Elective medical procedures were allowed to resume then, too. The state hopes to allow in-person religious services beginning May 30 and let hair and nail salons, among others, reopen in early June.
Montana: The state plans to enter the second phase of its reopening on June 1 and allow retail stores, restaurants and bars to operate at 75% capacity with social distancing. Gyms and pools also will be open with the same restrictions. Concert halls also will be able to open with restrictions. The 14-day self-quarantine rule for out-of-state visitors also will disappear then. The state reopening began on April 26 with churches, followed by retail stores a day later. Dine-in restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen on May 4 with 50% capacity.
Washington: Dentists could reopen on May 18. Elective medical procedures also are allowed. Retailers also have been allowed to offer curbside pickup. Public lands began reopening on a rolling basis starting May 5. All kinds of recreation will be allowed except camping. Construction projects deemed low risk can restart under conditions.
Pennsylvania: Retail stores in 12 more counties reopen on May 22, after 13 counties in the southwestern part of the state, including Pittsburgh, were allowed to reopen on May 15, and 24 counties in the northern and central parts of the state that were allowed to reopen on May 8. Child-care facilities in those counties, which will move to the “yellow” phase, also will be allowed to reopen, and in-person church services can resume. But hair and nail salons, among other businesses, must remain closed, and gatherings will be limited to 25 people. The Philadelphia area remains under the tightest stay-at-home rules.
Construction projects previously deemed nonessential were allowed to restart statewide on May 1.
Kentucky: Museums, outdoor attractions, distilleries and libraries can reopen on June 8, with limits. As of May 11, manufacturing, construction and professional services can operate at 50% capacity; car and boat dealerships, pet groomers and horse racing without fans should be able resume. The target for allowing in-person services at houses of worship and the reopening of nonessential retail businesses is May 20, and barber shops and salons could reopen May 25.
New York: “Low-risk” businesses were allowed to reopen May 15 in the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, Central New York and Mohawk Valley regions, in the Western New York region on May 19 and the area around Albany on May 20. They include construction, manufacturing and all retail where curbside pickup is possible, as well as agriculture, forestry and fishing. The New York City area, the most populous part of the state by far, remains in lockdown.
The New York Stock Exchange will partially reopen its trading floor on May 26.
California: California announced new criteria on May 18 for counties to loosen restrictions, including beginning to allow indoor dining at restaurants and shopping malls to reopen. Stores selling books, toys, sporting goods and flowers, among other categories, were allowed to reopen on May 8 with curbside pickup only. In-store sales still aren’t allowed. Warehouses also can reopen. Rules are tighter in the Bay Area, where San Francisco curbside pickup from retailers began May 18.
The state on May 12 released a 12-page document detailing requirements and recommendations for restaurants looking to reopen for dine-in service, but Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to say when and in what parts of the state that could happen. He has said it would take longer before hair and nail salons are allowed to reopen; Newsom said the state’s coronavirus outbreak began in a nail salon.
Wisconsin: The state’s Supreme Court struck down the state’s stay-at-home rule late on May 13, essentially reopening businesses in the state immediately and lifting limits on the size of gatherings. Local governments can still impose their own rules, and schools remain closed, but the move catapulted the state into the ranks of the most open in the country.
Oregon: Bars, restaurants, malls, salons and gyms were allowed to reopen in most counties on May 15 but with restrictions. The Portland area is among a handful of counties that remain closed. A county judge on May 18 threw out the governor’s extension of restrictions, potentially opening up the state, but Oregon’s Supreme Court stepped in and temporarily upheld the restrictions, pending review.
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Arizona: Casinos began reopening on May 15, bookending a week in which restaurants began opening for dine-in service on May 11. Elective surgeries resumed May 1, while retailers could offer curbside service as of May 4 and open stores to customers on May 8. Barbershops and salons were allowed to reopen on May 8 as well. The state’s stay-at-home order will expire on May 15. Major-league sports could resume May 16, but without fans.
Schools, however, remain closed.
Gov. Douglas Ducey’s latest executive order also lets expire an order that mandated two-week self-quarantines for all those who arrive from an area with substantial community spread, including but not limited to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Nevada: Restaurants and retailers could reopen at 50% capacity on May 9, and hair and nail salons were allowed to reopen with restrictions. Casinos have yet to reopen. Massage parlors, strip clubs and brothels, among other businesses, remain closed.
Maryland: Retailers and other nonessential businesses were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity on May 15, as were places of worship. Hair salons are open by appointment only. Restaurants remain closed. The two counties near Washington, D.C. remain closed. Hospitals and other health-care providers were allowed to resume elective and nonemergency procedures on May 7. Golf, tennis, fishing and hunting, boating, horseback riding and outdoor exercise classes are now allowed as well. Beaches and state parks have reopened for walking and exercise.
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Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine converted his stay-at-home order to an advisory on May 19, allowing residents to travel without restrictions. But mass gatherings remain off-limits. Indoor dining in restaurants can resume May 21, with restrictions, less than a week after restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen outside. Offices, warehouses, manufacturers and construction companies reopened May 4. Retailers and service businesses could open on May 12, and customers must wear face masks. All are subject to social-distancing rules. Hair and nail salons reopened on May 15.
South Carolina: Restaurants were allowed to reopen with limited indoor seating on May 11. Boating restrictions were also lifted.
The state was one of the first to loosen restrictions. Stores selling furniture, clothing, sporting goods, books and flowers, among other retail categories, as well as department stores and flea markets, were allowed to reopen on April 20 at no more than 20% capacity and with social distancing. Beaches began reopening on April 21.
Missouri:Businesses were allowed to reopen on May 4, though metro areas can impose stricter rules. There also will be no limit on the size of gatherings. With live events allowed, shows in Branson, a resort town in the southwest part of the state, will be back in business, although the state says social distancing is expected between families or individuals.
The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County will begin to lift stay-at-home orders on May 18 with certain restrictions, including on capacity.
Nebraska:Beginning May 4 in 59 of the state’s 93 counties and including Omaha, dine-in restaurant services can resume at 50% capacity, and groups will be limited to a maximum of six people. Hair and nail salons, barbershops, massage therapy and tattoo parlors can reopen that same day, and both workers and patrons must wear masks. Child-care facilities can reopen, also with limits. Rules affecting places of worship will be loosened. Rules affecting Lincoln, the state capital, don’t expire until May 6, and it’s unclear whether restrictions will be eased then.
Kansas: Move theaters and non-tribal casinos are among the businesses that can reopen on May 22. Bars and swimming pools stay closed. Dine-in restaurant service resumed on May 4 with tables of no more than 10 people and distancing between tables. Houses of worship will be allowed to hold services with more than 10 people, but with social distancing. Child-care facilities and libraries can operate.
New Hampshire: The state has issued guidelines for allowing outdoor weddings and summer camps. Restaurants could begin offering outdoor dining on May 18 with restrictions; seated indoor dining won’t be allowed.Elective medical procedures gradually resumed on May 4. Retailers could reopen May 11 at 50% capacity. Hair salons and barber shops also could reopen then, with certain restrictions. The same goes for golf courses.
Colorado: The state has issued guidelines to allow restaurants to reopen but hasn’t set a date. Business across much of the state, including hair and nail salons as well as dental and other elective medical services, reopened on May 1 under certain conditions, and Denver followed on May 8. Real-estate agents were allowed to start showing homes again on April 27, though open houses are not allowed. Offices could reopen on May 4 with 50% of staff and with social distancing, although Gov. Jared Polis said people should continue working from home if possible. Face masks are still required, and group gatherings can’t exceed 10 people.
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Maine: Barber shops, hair salons and pet groomers reopened as of May 1, as well as drive-in movie theaters, car dealers and outdoor recreation. Limited drive-in, stay-in-your-vehicle religious services are allowed. Retailers and restaurants in more rural, counties began reopening on May 8, but those in four counties are expected to remain closed until June 1. Campsites will be open to Maine residents for Memorial Day weekend, but plans to allow gyms and nail salons to reopen on June 1 have been delayed. All those coming to the state must quarantine for 14 days.
Tennessee:Most businesses reopened May 1. Restaurants were able to open for dine-in services at half-capacity starting April 27. Retail stores could open on April 29. Capacity restrictions will be lifted on May 22. Larger attractions may be allowed to reopen then, but social gatherings are still limited to no more than 10 people. Counties with their own health departments, which include those that are home to Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, plan their own reopen strategies.
Alabama: All retail businesses were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity beginning May 1. Restaurants, gyms, hair salons and churches reopened on May 11 with some restrictions. Bars face some added restrictions. Elective medical procedures can resume. Beaches are open.
Oklahoma: Weddings, funerals and organized sports,were allowed to resume on May 15 under the second phase of the state’s reopen plan, and bars were allowed to reopen. The plan aims to allow summer camps to open on June 1. Sit-down restaurants, movie theaters, sporting venues and gyms were allowed to reopen on May 1 with social distancing. Places of worship can reopen for in-person services if they leave every other row or pew open. Hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, pet groomers and spas were allowed to reopen earlier with social distancing, if they aren’t in communities with their own restrictions in place. State parks and outdoor recreation areas also can reopen.
Idaho: Almost all retail stores and houses of worship were allowed to open May 1. Day cares and youth events can restart as well. Bars, restaurant dining rooms, hair salons and indoor gyms were allowed to reopen on May 16.
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Iowa: Restaurants, stores and shopping malls as well as some other businesses were allowed to reopen in 77 of the state’s 99 counties beginning May 1 but at no more than 50% capacity. Restaurants will be limited to tables of no more than six people, and all tables must be at least 6 feet apart. Among the counties that aren’t reopening are those home to the state’s largest cities, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City and Iowa City.
Georgia: Gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors were allowed to reopen on April 24 with social-distancing and hygiene requirements. Hospitals can resume elective surgeries. On April 27, movie theaters were allowed to reopen, and restaurants can offer limited dine-in service.
Mississippi:Retail stores were allowed to reopen on April 27 with limits on the number of customers, and gyms, hair salons and restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 11. Casinos are reopening May 22.
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