Some States Prepare To Loosen Shelter-In-Place Orders Amidst Uncertainty

For almost two months, the vast majority of the United States has been under some kind of stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. More than 68,000 Americans have died, and while numbers have appeared to stabilize in some regions, experts warn the pandemic is far from over.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters in March that we shouldn’t expect a vaccine for at least 12 to 18 months. Reliable testing still isn’t widely available. Despite this, states are planning for, or have already begun, a staggered reopening. And with the reopening, key models have doubled their prediction for how many U.S. deaths will occur by August — 134,000 up from 72,000. As we enter this next “reopening” phase of the pandemic, many of us wonder what the new normal will be.  

What The New Normal Might Look Like 

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida loosened stay-at-home restrictions starting May 4 for restaurants and retail stores, as long as their capacity doesn’t exceed 25 percent. Churches continue to practice “voluntary social distancing,” while movie theaters, bars, salons, and gyms remain closed. In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey has issued a new stay-at-home-order that will expire on May 15, declaring that “all employers, retail stores and beaches will be allowed to open subject to good sanitation and social distancing rules.” In Arkansas, Governor Asa Hutchinson said gyms, fitness centers, indoor athletic facilities, barbershops and hair salons could re-open the week of May 4, and limited dine-in service for restaurants can resume May 11.

Other groups of states in the Midwest, West and Northeast have formed pacts to work in coordination to reopen their regional economies. In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis issued a “Safer at Home” order that will be in effect until May 27. Retail businesses with curbside delivery can reopen, elective medical procedures can resume and some nonessential businesses can reopen with social distancing measures in place. 

The primary adjustments seem to be continued government-led restrictions, staggered reopening of various businesses, continued physical distancing and new standards of hygiene, complete with medical masks and hand sanitizer. Places like China, South Korea and Australia, which have been shut for longer and are now getting back to work, show us another look at what our new normal might look like.

In South Korea, baseball continues, but there are no fans in the stands, and spitting on the field is forbidden. In China, many schools, office buildings and apartments administer temperature checks for those wanting to enter. Staggered start times, masks and social distancing are in place. In Sydney, hair salons have re-opened with masks and hand sanitizer. Residents can only host two visitors at a time in their homes.

We can expect better health and safety standards moving forward, but predicting the emotional state of the country is a little more difficult. We are coming through this a changed people. From nursing home staff and healthcare workers suffering from PTSD to the 33 million Americans who have filed for unemployment since the start of this pandemic to cancelled traditions, elevated loneliness and heightened uncertainty about the future, almost everyone has been touched by grief and loss. We have been in collective mourning, and while many are ready for that to come to an end, we’d be wise to prepare ourselves for a world different than the one we knew before.