Theater, Concert Time: Maryland Enters New Phase Of Recovery; Georgia Waits With ‘Caution’

The Washington Post: Maryland To Enter Next Phase Of Coronavirus Recovery Friday, Opening Theaters And Concert Venues
Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced that Maryland is ready to reopen movie theaters, begin holding concerts and expand the size of religious gatherings as he granted permission for a modified third phase of coronavirus recovery to begin at 5 p.m. Friday.Citing improving infection rates, the declining use of intensive care beds and expanded testing availability, Hogan said it is safe to lift more of the social restrictions that have been in place since March. (Tan, Cox, Schneider and Hedgpeth, 9/1)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Governor Weighs More Changes To State’s Coronavirus Rules
Gov. Brian Kemp hasn’t made many major changes to Georgia’s coronavirus restrictions for much of the summer. Now he’s monitoring the return of students to schools and college campuses to decide whether to relax more regulations. “We still have areas that we’re concerned about,” he said. “We still have college kids that haven’t been on campus three or four weeks yet. We still have schools that are opening after Labor Day. So we want to be very cautious, watching another two weeks, and then we’ll see where we go from there.” (Bluestein, 9/1)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana's Second Coronavirus Wave Has Waned. Jeff Asher Wonders: Will There Be A Third?
Louisiana appears to be on the other side of the state’s second wave of COVID-19, with the shape of this wave becoming clear over the last few weeks. Cases peaked in mid-July, though a reporting backlog obscured this fact until late July. The number of people in the hospital with COVID peaked on July 27, and the number of people who died during this wave peaked somewhere around Aug. 10-12. There is good evidence that more people were infected in Louisiana’s second wave than in the first. There were far more cases reported during the state’s July peak compared to the one that happened in March. Of course, testing was far more abundant during the July peak, so while cases aren’t the best metric for estimating infections, modeling data backs up the assertion that more people were infected in June/July than were infected in March/April. (Asher, 9/1)

In news from Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas —

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lawmakers Debate: Who's At Fault If You Catch COVID-19?
If a customer eats at a Michigan sandwich shop and tests positive for COVID-19 a few days later, could that customer sue the restaurant and win? What about students who contract the coronavirus on college campuses, or employees who catch the virus while working at a manufacturing plant? How sick would someone need to be to sue? (Boucher, 9/1)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Nursing Homes Task Force Releases Its Recommendations
A state nursing homes task force proposed new ways to help reduce the effects of isolation on residents in its report released Tuesday, recommending outdoor visits, small group activities with no contact, limited communal dining and increased virtual visitation. (Anderson, 9/1)

The Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Still Opposes Mask Mandate
Despite acknowledging evidence that face masks reduce transmission of COVID-19, Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday refused to require masks be worn statewide.At a news conference at Oklahoma State University, Stitt and state health officials said Oklahomans wearing masks is reducing the spread of COVID-19 in high-transmission areas.Nevertheless, Stitt doubled down on his belief that decisions on mask mandates should be left to local leaders. (Martinez-Keel and Forman, 9/2)

Houston Chronicle: 12 Detainees Say Conroe Detention Facility Staff Ignored Health Concerns After Fire 
A dozen women at an immigrant detention center in Conroe have complained staff mishandled a fire evacuation in July and ignored or dismissed health complications they say they suffered in the days that followed. (Gonzalez, 9/1)

In news from Ohio —

USA Today: US Children Could Be 'More Vulnerable' Than Ever To Sex Trafficking, Advocates Say. Here's What's Being Done To Locate Endangered Kids
Days after the U.S. Marshals Service announced the rescue of 39 endangered children in Georgia, similar operations are ongoing in two other states as authorities target missing kids who may be victims of sex trafficking. In Ohio, "Operation Safety Net" has led to the discovery of 25 children between the ages of 13 and 18 in less than three weeks, the Marshals Service says. The operation is likely to continue into October, U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott said. (Shannon and McDonnell, 9/1)