Clearing Skies

It’s April 28, 2020.

States across the country are starting to open up and the numbers of new coronavirus cases and weekly deaths are going down. Even the most dramatic of Central Florida news outlets reported on Monday that the worst has passed for Florida in terms of the disease spread and toll.

The burning question for all state governors is when and how to safely re-open their states, get local economies going again, and avoid triggering new waves of the disease.

Georgia and Alaska led the way on April 24 with the unshuttering of certain kinds of businesses, followed by more on April 27. Tennessee, Mississippi, Montana, and Oklahoma have lifted some restrictions. Florida governor Ron DeSantis will announce on April 29 when and how his state will re-open (“methodical” and “data-driven,” he has said). Florida’s stay-at-home order, enacted a month ago, expires on Thursday, April 30.

We can expect to see re-opened businesses still encouraging social distancing practices, such as having patrons stay six feet apart.

So the skies are clearing, friends.

While for many of us, it’s tempting to start relaxing health precautions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still urge everyone to be careful. Continue to wash your hands often with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, use a mask when you go out, frequently disinfect high-traffic surfaces, and call your doctor if you think you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

Thanks for reading.

–Kim

Featured photo by Anders Krøgh Jørgensen on Unsplash