Georgia, Iowa, South Carolina And Texas: What Reopening Looks Like In These States

Published May 11, 2020 at 9:00 AM CDT

Servers at The Original Ninfa's wear gloves and masks while bringing takeout orders to the kitche amid the novel coronavirus pandemic on May 1, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Mark Felix/AFP)

We check in with several states that are moving forward with reopening. How have businesses adapted? Are people going back to work? And what’s happened to infection rates?

Guests

Rose Scott,host of “ Closer Look with Rose Scott” on WABE, an NPR station in Atlanta. ( @waberosescott)

Clay Masters, lead political reporter for Iowa Public Radio. ( @Clay_Masters)

Gavin Jackson,public affairs reporter. Host of South Carolina ETV’s public affairs show, “ The Week in South Carolina,” and the “ South Carolina Lede” podcast. ( @GavinJackson)

Luis Carrasco, editorial writer and member of the Houston Chronicle’s Editorial board. ( @lfcarrasco)

Kimberly Atkins, senior news correspondent for WBUR. ( @KimberlyEAtkins)

From The Reading List

New York Times: “ See Which States Are Reopening and Which Are Still Shut Down” — “In Georgia, barbers are giving haircuts armed with face masks and latex gloves. In Texas, movie theaters are filling with customers, who crunch on popcorn several seats away from the nearest stranger. People are sweating at gyms again in Tennessee. America’s reopening has begun in force, just weeks after the coronavirus put most of the country on lockdown.”

Houston Chronicle: “ Barber shops, salons in northwest Houston reopen” — “Many beauty services such as barber shops and nail salons are reopening following an order from Gov. Greg Abbott allowing them to resume business, and residents around northwest Houston are coming out for their services.”

South Carolina Public Radio: “ SC Lede: COVID-19 — Take It Outside” — “On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for May 2, 2020, we bring you insight into how Gov. Henry McMaster and other political leaders envision reopening the state, take the pulse of the Palmetto State’s tourism industry, and find out what this year’s college football season could look like.”

Iowa Public Radio: “ Businesses Partially Re-Open in 77 Iowa Counties Amidst Pandemic” — “Seventy-seven counties in Iowa are partially re-opening business in the midst of this pandemic on Friday. Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds set the scene Thursday during her press conference.”

WABE: “ Experts Highlight Risks And Strain As Some Georgia Malls Move To Reopen” — “Even though malls aren’t what they used to be, they can still get crowded.”

Washington Post: “ As Iowa reopens, workers are being forced to choose between a paycheck and their health” — “Terrie Neider loves to be around people. ‘I’m chatty,’ she said. ‘Customer service is my thing. It’s what I’m good at.’ So when she was looking to supplement her monthly Social Security check, the 64-year-old took a part-time job at the Casey’s General Store off the main strip in this rural southeastern Iowa town. She worked three shifts, about 24 hours a week, running the cash register and occasionally making pizza, earning just enough to make ends meet.”

Texas Tribune: “ At a Texas mall reopening, some antsy shoppers wore homemade masks while others called coronavirus a farce” — “It was 10:18 a.m. Friday, and the Barton Creek Square mall in Austin was opening in 42 minutes. John Whitton and Marina Oneill stood by their car outside wearing face masks — Oneill’s a DIY mask made by her roommate from a bra cup — waiting to buy a swimsuit (for Oneill) and shoes (for Whitton).”

Business Insider: “ In South Carolina, residents slowly return to select reopened retail stores and beaches, even as the state extends its state of emergency order. Here’s what it’s like.” — “South Carolina became one of the first states to allow businesses to reopen amid the coronavirus outbreak last week, joining nearby Georgia in taking an early gamble in restarting the economy.”

CNN: “ Tensions and backlash mount as US coronavirus reopenings reveal a new way of life” — “With nearly all states partially reopened this week, backlash and frustrations are growing Friday as Americans struggle with ways to combat the deadly coronavirus. More than 45 states by Sunday will have relaxed restrictions on some combination of businesses, services or parks, hoping to lift economies crushed by a pandemic that has killed nearly 76,000 people in the United States and infected over 1.2 million.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.