This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On Monday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced plans to reopen the state's economy, citing a leveling off of the coronavirus crisis. The move is part of a broader trend of states easing restrictions on businesses and public gatherings, despite ongoing concerns about the spread of the virus.
According to state public health officials, Georgia has had over 19,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 775 deaths. Despite these numbers, Governor Kemp expressed optimism about the state's ability to manage the outbreak, saying that the crisis had leveled off enough to ease restrictions and help alleviate the economic anguish they have helped create.
However, the move to reopen is not without its challenges. Governor Kemp emphasized that stores would not be reopening for 'business as usual,' and that social distancing rules would still need to be enforced. He also urged businesses to check employees' temperatures for fevers and ramp up sanitation efforts.
Parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks are also moving forward with lifting restrictions for entry, officials said. Dare County, which includes the towns of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Southern Shores, has had 15 diagnosed cases, with one death, officials said.
Meanwhile, a state prison in Ohio has become the largest-known source of coronavirus infections in the United States. At least 1,828 inmates – almost three-quarters of the population – have tested positive for the coronavirus at the minimum- and medium-security prison in Marion, Ohio.
