States Begin Lifting Shutdown Measures Even As Experts Remain Wary

The New York Times: Governors, Facing Pressures On All Sides, Weigh Reopening Their States 
Facing the same competing pressures between keeping people safe in a pandemic and reviving some elements of a more functioning society, governors around the country Sunday made their case for steps they were taking — or not taking — to begin reopening. Their efforts reflected the halting patchwork of attempts by several states to begin moving past severe restrictions in the face of the coronavirus, as a cascade of stay-at-home orders began to expire. (Dewan and Swales, 4/26)

Reuters: Next Wave Of U.S. States Set To Reopen As Coronavirus Could Push Jobless Rate To 16%
Another wave of states prepared to ease coronavirus restrictions on U.S. commerce this week, despite health experts warning there is still too little diagnostic testing, while the White House forecast a staggering jump in the nation’s monthly jobless rate. (Brown and O'Brien, 4/26)

The Washington Post: Reopening Of America Accelerates As States Prepare To Relax Coronavirus Restrictions
Ready or not, America is opening back up. The process that began in recent days with back-in-business nail salons and unbarred sandy beaches in a scattering of states is poised to accelerate over the coming week across wide swaths of the country. After shutting down much of American life in March and keeping people home throughout April, governors are preparing to lift restrictions as the calendar turns to May — and cross their fingers that the novel coronavirus doesn’t come roaring back. (Witte, Stanley-Becker, Wootson and Eger, 4/25)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Debates How Quickly It Can Reopen
The moves in the U.S. come as the rate of growth in infections in some parts of the country appeared to slow, according to some health and state officials. Still, the number of confirmed infections neared 1 million in the U.S., according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Public-health officials warned social-distancing measures would likely continue through the summer and a return to normalcy could prove fitful. (Calfas, Ansari and Khan, 4/26)

The Washington Post: Social Distancing Could Last Months, White House Coronavirus Coordinator Says
Some form of social distancing will probably remain in place through the summer, Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus task force coordinator, said Sunday — the same day several governors expressed optimism about the course of the virus and outlined their plans for a piecemeal reopening of their economies. It was the latest instance of conflicting signals coming not just from state and federal leaders but also from within the Trump administration in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic that so far has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans. (Sonmez, Winfield Cunningham and Kornfield, 4/26)

Los Angeles Times: Social Limits Needed Through Summer, Birx Says
States including Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alaska and Georgia have begun allowing businesses previously deemed nonessential, such as beauty salons and gyms, to reopen. Scott Gottlieb, who was the Food and Drug Administration commissioner early in the Trump administration, added to the widespread criticism that Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, in particular, was moving too fast. (King, 4/26)

The New York Times: As States Push To Reopen, Business Leaders Say Not So Fast
Companies in a handful of states have begun taking tentative steps to reopen stores, offices and factories that were closed by the coronavirus. Yet as the first employees and customers return, interviews with roughly 30 major employers show that businesses are confronting deep uncertainty, and many say it is simply too soon to come back. Across the country, businesses are confronting a patchwork set of regulations that vary from state to state, and industry to industry. Government officials are sending mixed messages about who should open. (Gelles, Kelly and Yaffe-Bellany, 4/26)

The Washington Post: ‘Quarantine Fatigue’: Researchers Find More Americans Venturing Out Against Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders
Researchers tracking smartphone data say they recently made a disturbing discovery: For the first time since states began implementing stay-at-home orders in mid-March to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, Americans are staying home less. The nationwide shift during the week of April 13 was relatively slight. However, any loss of momentum, particularly when stay-in-place orders remain in effect across most of the country, has some public health experts worried about “quarantine fatigue.” (Shaver, 4/25)

Politico: Colorado Governor Defends Move To Reopen
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday defended his decision to lift some restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus and permit some businesses to reopen. In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Polis, a Democrat, said the state had to move forward "with the information we have." (O'Brien, 4/26)

The Washington Post: As Covid-19 Deaths Mount, Md. Gov. Hogan Promises Caution As He Looks To Reopen The Economy
A day after Maryland had its worst day of covid-19 deaths — and as fatalities and cases continued to mount — Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vowed that he would proceed with caution as he looks to reopen the state’s economy. During a Sunday morning appearance on ABC News’s “This Week,” Hogan promised all his decisions in the next few months would be based on science. (Natanson, Cox and Jouvenal, 4/26)

The Washington Post: A Georgia Coroner On Reopening The State Amid Mounting Deaths
I’m always driving, going back-and-forth between nursing homes, the hospital, and the morgue. All these roads should be empty if you ask me. But now I see people out running errands, rushing back into their lives, and it’s like: “Why? What reason could possibly be good enough?” Sometimes, I think about stopping and showing them one of the empty body bags I have in the trunk. “You might end up here. Is that worth it for a haircut or a hamburger?” (As told to Eli Saslow, 4/25)

The New York Times: Serving Wings And A Prayer: It’s Back To Business For Fairbanks Restaurants
Most of America now eats at the dining room table, or at the kitchen table, or on the couch, or in bed, or out on the front stoop. But in Alaska, at a place called the Roundup Steakhouse and Saloon, something remarkable happened in this age of infection. The place was open! People weren’t sitting at home! Food could be ordered and served, and it wasn’t in a takeout box! (Black and Johnson, 4/25)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Begins Process Of Re-Opening State With Bans On Nonessential Surgeries, Farmers' Market Lifted
Gov. Kim Reynolds is lifting Iowa’s ban on nonessential surgeries and allowing farmers' markets to open again starting Monday as she prepares to make further announcements about easing restrictions on businesses imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Representatives from several markets, including the Des Moines Farmers' Market, are reviewing the requirements for opening and considering their options. (Gruber-Miller, 4/24)

Stateline: Will Child Care Be There When States Reopen?
Child care centers, home daycares and after-school programs nationwide are struggling to stay open as families stay home to avoid spreading the coronavirus. As some governors prepare to lift stay-at-home orders, child care advocates warn that if businesses like Alvarez’s cannot survive, it’ll be harder for parents to return to work. (Quinton, 4/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Coronavirus In Wisconsin: Protesters At Capitol Criticize Restrictions
More than a thousand people cheering "USA" and "open up" gathered on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Friday to protest Gov. Tony Evers' restrictions on their daily lives, rallying in close quarters on a day the state saw its highest daily increase in positive cases of coronavirus. The crowd stood shoulder to shoulder — physically and in solidarity — in defiance of the Democratic governor's order to keep businesses and schools closed, and people apart, in an effort to limit the spread of highly contagious virus for which there is no vaccine. (Beck and Glauber, 4/24)