When social distancing could ease in every state
By
Staff, AccuWeather
Published May 13, 2020 2:32 PM EDT
Accuweather's Dexter Henry takes a look at a recent study that has people rethinking how they practice social distancing during outdoor activities.
We’re all itching to return to the life we knew before COVID-19 became our new way of life in the U.S. in late February-early March 2020. We’ve been slowly adapting to the new normal of social distancing, relying on takeout food, going on virtual vacations in the living room to keep the kids happy and mentally healthy, and, for some, even having to look for a new job. While we’re looking for some hope on the horizon as the curve flattens, some states are starting to slowly ease the social distancing restrictions.
Georgia became one of the first states in the nation to jump feet first into easing the social distancing restrictions. Governor Brian Kemp, against the guidance of President Donald Trump and top health officials, ordered barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, gyms, and tattoo parlors to reopen on April 24th. Just days later, restaurants were given the green light to start welcoming back dine-in patrons while still practicing social distancing.
Photo by Jordan Hopkins
Jordan Hopkins
Top health officials say opening the states too early by relaxing the social distancing restrictions will only lead to flare-ups and a resurgence that could overwhelm the healthcare industry. Epidemiologists and other public health officials, warning against states moving too fast, fear coronavirus cases could spiral up to catastrophic levels all over again unless proper measures are taken. The consensus view is that states should not open until there are robust measures in place to detect and stop new pockets of COVID-19 outbreaks by testing to see who is infected, tracing their contacts, and isolating and quarantining as needed.
One new model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) focuses on flare-ups of coronavirus in each state. Researchers say one new infection per million people in a given state should be enough to keep outbreaks from getting out of control, even after people start getting together again. IHME researchers stress that states would still need to clamp down on large gatherings. Using this data, IHME’s team forecasts when each state will reach the threshold of one new infection per million people. Their main takeaway is that very few states are close to meeting that metric. In fact, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, West Virginia, and Vermont are the only states that are projected to safely relax some restrictions by May 10th.
Here is the breakdown, according to IHME, when each state could ease social distance restrictions.
Photo by Julia M Cameron
Julia M Cameron
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May 6: Hawaii, Montana
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May 7: Alaska
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May 8: West Virginia
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May 10: Vermont
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May 11: North Carolina
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May 13: Maine
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May 14: Ohio
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May 16: Idaho, New Hampshire
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May 18: California
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May 19: Alabama, Delaware, Illinois
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May 20: Michigan, Nevada, Tennessee
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May 21: Indiana, Wisconsin
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May 23: Louisiana
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May 24: New Mexico
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May 25: Wyoming
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May 26: Colorado
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May 27: New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania
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May 28: Washington
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May 29: Mississippi
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May 31: Minnesota
Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain
(REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
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June 4: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
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June 8: South Carolina, Texas
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June 9: Connecticut
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June 10: Massachusetts, Missouri, Rhode Island
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June 14: Florida, Kentucky
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June 17: Oklahoma
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June 21: Kansas
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June 22: Arkansas, Georgia
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June 23: Utah
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June 26: Arizona, Iowa
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June 27: South Dakota
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July 3: Nebraska
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July 19: North Dakota
The Chicago Tribune reports IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray says the potential opening dates are likely to change as more information becomes available - noting in particular that whether deaths drop sharply after peaking, or plateau, is a key variable in these projections.
Photo by Steven Senne
Steven senne
While the possibility of getting somewhat back to normal does give us a glimmer of hope, it’s still up to us to do our parts to flatten the curve. A coronavirus cure or vaccine is still said to be one year away. Until then, we must still practice social distancing, wash our hands, and wear a cloth mask and gloves when outdoors
It’s important to stay informed about the latest COVID-19 developments. AccuWeather has everything you need to know about COVID-19, including an interactive map to see where new cases are popping up, a tracker showing how many people are recovering, and in-depth podcast talking about how weather can impact coronavirus. You’ll also find the latest information on Accuweather TV network, Twitter and Facebook.
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News / Health
When social distancing could ease in every state
By Staff, AccuWeather
Published May 13, 2020 2:32 PM EDT
Accuweather's Dexter Henry takes a look at a recent study that has people rethinking how they practice social distancing during outdoor activities.
We’re all itching to return to the life we knew before COVID-19 became our new way of life in the U.S. in late February-early March 2020. We’ve been slowly adapting to the new normal of social distancing, relying on takeout food, going on virtual vacations in the living room to keep the kids happy and mentally healthy, and, for some, even having to look for a new job. While we’re looking for some hope on the horizon as the curve flattens, some states are starting to slowly ease the social distancing restrictions.
Georgia became one of the first states in the nation to jump feet first into easing the social distancing restrictions. Governor Brian Kemp, against the guidance of President Donald Trump and top health officials, ordered barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, gyms, and tattoo parlors to reopen on April 24th. Just days later, restaurants were given the green light to start welcoming back dine-in patrons while still practicing social distancing.
Photo by Jordan Hopkins
Top health officials say opening the states too early by relaxing the social distancing restrictions will only lead to flare-ups and a resurgence that could overwhelm the healthcare industry. Epidemiologists and other public health officials, warning against states moving too fast, fear coronavirus cases could spiral up to catastrophic levels all over again unless proper measures are taken. The consensus view is that states should not open until there are robust measures in place to detect and stop new pockets of COVID-19 outbreaks by testing to see who is infected, tracing their contacts, and isolating and quarantining as needed.
One new model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) focuses on flare-ups of coronavirus in each state. Researchers say one new infection per million people in a given state should be enough to keep outbreaks from getting out of control, even after people start getting together again. IHME researchers stress that states would still need to clamp down on large gatherings. Using this data, IHME’s team forecasts when each state will reach the threshold of one new infection per million people. Their main takeaway is that very few states are close to meeting that metric. In fact, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, West Virginia, and Vermont are the only states that are projected to safely relax some restrictions by May 10th.
Here is the breakdown, according to IHME, when each state could ease social distance restrictions.
Photo by Julia M Cameron
May
May 6: Hawaii, Montana
May 7: Alaska
May 8: West Virginia
May 10: Vermont
May 11: North Carolina
May 13: Maine
May 14: Ohio
May 16: Idaho, New Hampshire
May 18: California
May 19: Alabama, Delaware, Illinois
May 20: Michigan, Nevada, Tennessee
May 21: Indiana, Wisconsin
May 23: Louisiana
May 24: New Mexico
May 25: Wyoming
May 26: Colorado
May 27: New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania
May 28: Washington
May 29: Mississippi
May 31: Minnesota
Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain
June
June 4: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
June 8: South Carolina, Texas
June 9: Connecticut
June 10: Massachusetts, Missouri, Rhode Island
June 14: Florida, Kentucky
June 17: Oklahoma
June 21: Kansas
June 22: Arkansas, Georgia
June 23: Utah
June 26: Arizona, Iowa
June 27: South Dakota
July
July 3: Nebraska
July 19: North Dakota
The Chicago Tribune reports IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray says the potential opening dates are likely to change as more information becomes available - noting in particular that whether deaths drop sharply after peaking, or plateau, is a key variable in these projections.
Photo by Steven Senne
While the possibility of getting somewhat back to normal does give us a glimmer of hope, it’s still up to us to do our parts to flatten the curve. A coronavirus cure or vaccine is still said to be one year away. Until then, we must still practice social distancing, wash our hands, and wear a cloth mask and gloves when outdoors
It’s important to stay informed about the latest COVID-19 developments. AccuWeather has everything you need to know about COVID-19, including an interactive map to see where new cases are popping up, a tracker showing how many people are recovering, and in-depth podcast talking about how weather can impact coronavirus. You’ll also find the latest information on Accuweather TV network, Twitter and Facebook.
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