State by State Reopening Update

During the last couple of weeks, states across the United States began to relax restrictions that were implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19. Below is a snapshot of what the various states are doing to reopen.

This list was created on May 11, 2020 and it is subject to change quickly as the health, economic, and political landscapes continue to change rapidly.

  • Alabama: Effective May 11, limited operations of restaurants, hair and nail salons and gyms are allowed at reduced capacity.
  • Alaska: Beginning May 8, bars, gyms, libraries, and theaters can reopen with limited capacity. Barber shops, nail and hair salons have been able to be open since April 27, 2020.
  • Arizona: May 8, hair and nail services were able to begin. On May 11, restaurants and coffee shops can start offering dine-in service under limited capacity.
  • Arkansas: Barbershops and beauty salons were allowed to reopen May 6. Dental services are able to to open as of May 11, and it appears the state’s 3 casinos may reopen on May 18th.
  • California: As of May 7th, some retailers are able to open with curbside service. Hair salons and gyms remain closed and dining in restaurants is not allowed yet.
  • Colorado: Offices previously deemed “non-essential” were allowed to reopen on May 4th with reduced staff. As of May 1st, haircuts and in- person retail shopping were allowed again. In-person dining is not allowed yet. Hospitals, dental offices, optometrists and other health care providers are starting to see patients.
  • Connecticut: Officials released plans that target May 20, 2020 as a date that restaurants, retail stores, and salons may begin the process of reopening.
  • Delaware: Many businesses are allowed to resume limited operations as of May 8th. Retailers can offer curbside services and barbershops and salons can reopen for some customers under strict rules.
  • Florida: In Florida, less populated and less impacted counties are able to open sooner than those greatly impacted by the virus. In areas less impacted, elective surgeries can resume, restaurants can offer in- person dining, and retail can resume at 25% capacity.
  • Georgia: Most restrictions were lifted and as of April 30, restaurants, malls, theaters have been allowed to reopen with some limitations.
  • Hawaii: On May 11, restrictions were relaxed allowing shopping malls and retail to reopen. Elective surgeries are allowed as determined at each facility.
  • Idaho: As of May 1, childcare centers were allowed to reopen. Bars, gyms, salons, theaters remain closed. Restaurants can continue curbside and delivery services.
  • Illinois: As of May 5th, previously closed “non-essential” businesses are allowed to open for curbside pickup and delivery. In the state’s next phase, manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons will reopen with capacity limits. Restaurants and bars don’t resume service until the fourth phase of the state’s plan.
  • Indiana: As of May 4th, malls and “non-essential” retailers could begin reopening at 50% capacity. As of May 11, restaurants can open at half capacity. Cities harder hit by the virus may have more restrictive openings by locale.
  • Iowa: May 8th, dental services, campgrounds, and retail stores and malls can reopen; however mall food courts must remain closed, even though restaurants in general were allowed to reopen May 1st. Elective surgeries have been allowed since April 24, 2020.
  • Kansas: As of May 3rd, retail and restaurants were allowed to open with limited capacity.
  • Kentucky: Restaurants may reopen on May 22nd at 33% capacity. Theaters, campgrounds, childcare centers, will remain closed until at least June. As of May 11, manufacturing can reopen, and as of May 25, barbershops can reopen.
  • Louisiana: The governor updated his previous order that expired on April 30, 2020. It allows some outside dining at restaurants, but no table service. Curbside retail is allowed and non-emergency medical procedures can resume.
  • Maine: Rural Maine will be open sooner than the more populated parts of the state. Rural retail began on May 11, and restaurants will be able to open on May 18th.
  • Maryland: There is a stay-at-home order in place; however, beaches, golf, campgrounds are open again. They plan on reopening small businesses mid-May.
  • Massachusetts: Golf courses were able to open with limited use on May 7. The governor has a 17-person commission issuing a proposal on May 18th with suggestions to safely reopen the economy.
  • Michigan: As of May 11th, manufacturing is allowed to resume with the automotive plants able to restart on May 18. Construction, real estate and other outdoor work was scheduled to resume on May 7, 2020.
  • Minnesota: As of May 11, doctors, dentists, and veterinarians are able to provide elective surgeries. On May 4th, retail businesses were allowed to open for curbside services. Industrial, manufacturing, and office-based businesses that are not customer-facing were allowed to reopen previously.
  • Mississippi: As of May 11, salons, barbershops, and gyms are allowed to resume operations. Restaurants were allowed to open May 7th.
  • Missouri: Because of relatively lenient statewide orders, much of Missouri opened May 4th.
  • Montana: Retailers, bars, and restaurants were allowed to reopen with decreased capacity on May 3rd.
  • Nebraska: On May 4th, restrictions were loosened in most of the state that allowed restaurants and salons to reopen. Day cares were also able to open with some changes. There is no formal stay at home order.
  • Nevada: Restaurants, retail, barbershops, hair salons, and brewpubs could resume limited operations as of May 9th. Casinos, bars, and nightclubs remain closed.
  • New Hampshire: On May 11, hair salons, barbershops, and retail stores could reopen with new requirements. Dentists are allowed to practice again and hospitals are able to perform non-emergency services. Restaurants are able to offer outdoor dining starting May 18.
  • New Jersey: State and county parks and golf courses could reopen as of May 2. The state still has most of its restrictions in place.
  • New Mexico: Many non-essential retailers, pet groomers, state parks and golf courses could resume limited operations as of May 1. However, barbershops, hair salons, malls, and offices remain closed. Restaurants and bars can only operate curbside.
  • New York: The state has been divided into 10 regions that need to meet certain benchmarks to reopen after May 15. Phase 1 will be construction and manufacturing, curbside retail; Phase 2 will be professional services, finance, insurance, retail and real estate; Phase 3 is restaurants/hotels; and Phase 4 is arts/entertainment and recreation.
  • North Carolina: May 8th, people are allowed to leave their homes for commercial activity and to go to any business that is open. Retail is allowed to open under restrictions. Restaurants are allowed to do take out, bars, gyms, barbershops, and hair salons remain closed.
  • Ohio: Barbershops and hair salons are allowed to open on May 15. Restaurants and bars can open outdoor patios on the 15th and begin indoor seating on May 21. Hospitals, medical, and dental were allowed to open May 1 and retail businesses could open for curbside pick up May 2. Construction, distribution, and manufacturing could resume May 4, and consumer, retail and service businesses could reopen May 12.
  • Oklahoma: May 1st, restaurants, malls, and other stores were allowed to open. May 15th, bars can open and funerals, and weddings are allowed. Barbershops and salons have been operating “by appointment only” since April 24th.
  • Oregon: Rural counties can apply to reopen in phases. First phase, restaurants, gyms, and salons can open under restrictions, the governor’s goal was to allow some openings on May 15.
  • Pennsylvania: May 1st, construction was opened and recently, in the western region of the state, retail shops could start to reopen.
  • Rhode Island: May 9th, the statewide stay-at-home order was lifted. Restaurants remain able to do takeout, but not in person dining.
  • South Carolina: May 11 begins in-person dining at restaurants. Clothing, department, furniture, jewelry, and sporting goods stores can operate at reduced capacity.
  • South Dakota: There is no stay-at-home order; however, employers, schools, and health care providers need to meet certain criteria to begin operations.
  • Tennessee: May 6, salons and barbershops were able to open. Nashville plans to transition to a first phase of reopening on May 11 by allowing restaurants and retail to open at restricted capacity. Six counties, Davidson, Shelby, Knox, Hamilton, and Sullivan will not open until local officials finalize and approve their own reopening plans.
  • Texas: On May 8th, hair and nail salons were allowed to reopen. Retail and restaurants (not bars) were allowed to reopen on May 1.
  • Utah: As of May 6, 2020, most businesses could reopen and restaurants could provide dine-in services.
  • Vermont: Manufacturing, construction and distribution companies were allowed to reopen May 4. Some elective healthcare procedures were also permitted as of May 4.
  • Virginia: There is a phased in approach with Phase 1 beginning May 15, 2020, with “non-essential” retail allowed. Restaurants will continue to be limited to take out or delivery. Elective surgeries and dental procedures were allowed May 1.
  • Washington: May 8th began curbside retail sales. Construction was able to start on April 24th. Other restrictions remain largely in place.
  • West Virginia: As of May 11th, physical therapy centers can open. Previously, hospitals resumed elective procedures, offices opened, barbershops opened and restaurants were allowed to have outdoor dining.
  • Wisconsin: UPDATED May 13: The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the stay-at-home order as unlawful. Some bars and restaurants opened across the state and it appears local jurisdictions are attempting to maintain some of the stay-at-home orders.
  • Wyoming: Barbershops, gyms, nail salons, and childcare centers were allowed to open with restrictions as of May 1.

State specific information was sourced from USA Today.