Georgia Will Reopen Gyms, Hair Salons And Bowling Alleys As Early As Friday

TOPLINE

Georgia governor Brian Kemp said some businesses, including gyms, hair salons and bowling alleys, will be able to reopen as early as this week, the most aggressive state action to reopen business after issuing an earlier stay-at-home order.

KEY FACTS

Gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools and massage therapists can reopen Friday, April 24, Kemp said, provided workers wear masks and gloves, stay six feet away from each other and are screened for symptoms.

Dine-in options at restaurants, private social clubs and theaters will be able to reopen on April 27 "subject to specific social distancing and sanitation mandates," which will be released in the coming days, Kemp said.

Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live performance venues will remain closed.

Kemp said the state is on track to meet the criteria set by the White House to begin Phase One of the federal government's plan to reopen, which says states need to see a downward trajectory of cases within a 14-day period and have a "robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers."

But on Monday, Georgia had six days of declines, according to the Associated Press, and if the trend continues, Friday would mark 10 days of declines, which is still less than the White House recommendation.

Georgia's official stay-at-home order ends April 30, but Kemp advised vulnerable populations to stay inside until at least May 13.

Chief critic

Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who lost a close election to Kemp in 2018, said the governor's actions were " dangerously incompetent."

"Georgia: 14th highest infection/7th lowest testing rate; less econ resilient & 1000s of low-wage workers already forced to risk their lives to make a living. Weakened healthcare w/closed rural hospitals, no Medicaid expansion & a doctor shortage. Reopen? Dangerously incompetent," she tweeted.

Key background

Kemp drew criticism for being one of the last governors to issue a stay-at-home order on April 2. At the time, the governor said he recently became aware asymptomatic people could transmit coronavirus, even as Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation's top health officials, has been hammering home the point for almost two months.

NEWS PEG

Though the White House has put together a list of criteria states should meet before reopening, it is ultimately up to individual governors to make the decision. The governors of Tennessee and South Carolina announced similar plans Monday to begin reopening in the next few weeks. Florida last week opened some beaches in the Jacksonville area. And New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, some of the hardest hit states in the country, allowed marinas, boatyards, and golf courses to open to the public this past weekend.

Public health experts warn that relaxing social distancing rules too early could result in a resurgence of the disease.

I'm a San Francisco-based reporter covering breaking news at Forbes. I've previously reported for USA Today, Business Insider, The San Francisco Business Times and San

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