As the country encourages its citizens to stay sheltered and quarantined in homes, three governors, all of whom are Republicans, intend to reopen businesses within their states as long as social distancing and hygiene guidelines are carried out. Top federal health officials have warned that it may be too early to reopen businesses and shops amid a cataclysmic epidemic.  

Earlier this month, President Trump announced that businesses will soon reopen, and American life will return to normal. This sparked controversy against governors across the country as some are concerned that easing coronavirus lockdowns will backfire.  

Meanwhile, both Governors Henry McMaster of South Carolina and Brian Kemp of Georgia have “made the most aggressive pitches to return life to normal,” reported The Los Angeles Times. 

On the evening of Apr. 20, the two Republican governors released the order that beaches, florist shops, furniture stores, entertainment businesses, and restaurants — but not bars or clubs — were allowed to reopen as long as guidelines were thoroughly abided and prioritized. Exceptions apply to the “medically fragile” as they are encouraged to remain home until May 13. 

Gov. Kemp’s concerns have mainly been on residents “going broke worried about whether they can feed their children and make the mortgage payment.” 

In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee announced that a “vast majority” of businesses and stores will reopen in the less populated counties by May 1, “with some opening as early as Apr. 27.” 

He also ordered that the state’s stay-at-home order not extend past Apr. 30. 

Referring to White House guidelines, The Los Angeles Times noted none of the three states have attained “the 14 days of sustained decline in coronavirus infections” which should be “in place before lifting restrictions on commercial activity.”

In states like New York and California where the two states’ governors are gradually seeing declines in coronavirus deaths, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Gavin Newsom are moving past the worst of the COVID-19. However, easing coronavirus lockdowns in certain states can cause a backfire which experts and health officials say may prevent the country from recovering quickly.  

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) of Louisiana asked for patience from residents and proclaimed that lockdowns will soon ease, once the state increases its capacity for testing. As the state has more than 24,800 infected with the virus, Edwards encouraged residents of Louisiana to keep themselves quarantined in their homes until further notice.  

Although health officials and experts acknowledge the havoc on the American business and the economy that the virus has caused, they warn that if states continue to ease lockdowns, the country will lag behind other nations in recovering from the pandemic. 

Photo courtesy of VOX.COM