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State Watch

Here’s when all 50 states plan to reopen after coronavirus restrictions

by Alicia Cohn - 04/20/20 3:32 PM ET
by Alicia Cohn - 04/20/20 3:32 PM ET

Governors are beginning to announce timelines for relaxing strict measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus. Many states are dropping stay-at-home orders beginning May 1, while several states have not yet announced an end to restrictions.

At the federal level, President Trump last week issued guidelines “that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopening their individual states.”

“Governors will be empowered to tailor an approach that meets the diverse circumstances of their own states,” Trump said. “And some states will be able to open up sooner than others.”

Health officials are warning states not to reopen businesses or allow large gatherings too quickly, for fear of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. But governors are under pressure to stimulate local economies that have been hit hard by closures. Many states plan a phased approach to reopening in an effort to balance priorities.

Here is a list of states that have reopened so far.

Here are the reopening timelines announced so far by all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Alabama

Alabama’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Gov. Kay Ivey (R) plans to follow state task force recommendations, which include first allowing small retailers, restaurants and other businesses to reopen with protective measures in place.

Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Alaska

Alaska’s stay-at-home order has expired. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) has issued multiple health mandates that various industries “must” follow between April 24 to at least May 20. Non-essential businesses are still closed under the mandates. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Arizona

Arizona’s stay-at-home order expires May 15. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced Wednesday that elective medical procedures would be allowed to resume May 1 with restrictions. Retail businesses began offering curbside service May 4 and in-person services May 8. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Arkansas

Arkansas does not have a stay-at-home order. On April 18, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) launched an economic recovery task force and said he hopes to begin to ease restrictions in the state on May 4. Elective surgeries resumed April 27. Public schools are closed in the state for the rest of the school year.

California

There is no set end date for California’s stay-at-home order. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has joined a multistate task force, along with Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, to discuss reopening. He warned that some restrictions, such as masks in restaurants and bans against large gatherings, will stay in place through the summer. Some businesses, including bookstores and clothing stores, were allowed to reopen May 8. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Colorado

The state’s stay-at-home order expired April 26. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has said social distancing measures will remain in place until “scientists are able to deliver a truly effective clinical treatment” for COVID-19. He said as of April 26, the state is entering a “safer at home” phase where residents are recommended to stay home but not required to. Retail businesses were allowed to reopen for curbside delivery and elective medical procedures were permitted to resume on April 27. Starting May 8, “personal service” businesses like hair salons were allowed to reopen if they had fewer than 10 people in the business at one time. Schools are closed through the end of the school year. 

Connecticut

Connecticut’s stay-at-home order expires May 20. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has set up an advisory board to decide how to reopen the state that last week indicated the state would start to reopen sometime in June. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year. Connecticut is allied with Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island in a multistate effort to coordinate reopening.

Delaware

Delaware’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Gov. John Carney (D) has said the state is far from ready to reopen for business. The state is conducting town halls to gain feedback from small business leaders over the next few weeks. Schools will be closed through the rest of the school year.

“But the overall message that we’re opening up as if it’s tomorrow for me is the wrong message here in Delaware,’’ Carney told local public radio station WHYY. “I’m still saying, stay at home. Stay safe. We’re still not out of this. We still have not peaked and we will do everything we can to open when the conditions are right.”

District of Columbia

The city’s stay-at-home order expires May 15. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) extended school closures for the remainder of the school year.

Florida

Florida’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said businesses, including restaurants at limited capacity, could reopen starting May 4 in most of the state. Elective surgeries are also allowed to resume. Beaches reopened for “essential activities” in parts of the state on April 17. 

After saying he might reopen schools before the end of the school year, DeSantis said April 18 that K-12 schools would be closed for the rest of the school year.

Georgia

Georgia’s shelter-in-place order expired April 30, allowing malls and many other businesses to reopen and lifting a ban on short-term vacation homes. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) allowed some businesses, including dine-in restaurants, gyms and hair salons, to reopen and elective surgeries to resume beginning April 24. Schools are closed in the state through the rest of the school year.

Hawaii

Hawaii’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Gov. David Ige (D) has said he’s taking a “phased-in” approach to reopening the state for business. He is allowing exercise on beaches with appropriate social distancing measures. The state is allowing golf courses to reopen and florists to resume deliveries on May 1. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Idaho

Idaho’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Restaurants, gyms, salons and movie theaters remain closed after May 1, but churches and day cares can reopen. Restaurants are expected to reopen May 16 if they “prepare operational plans” that include limits on the number of people in a business at a time. Schools are closed the rest of the school year.

Illinois

Illinois’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Some restrictions will be loosened starting May 1, including resuming elective surgeries and allowing curbside service at retail stores. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is coordinating reopening the state with the governors of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Indiana

Indiana’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Some businesses, like dentists, greenhouses and pet groomers, were allowed to reopen with restrictions. Elective surgeries were allowed to resume. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) has said that “we are thinking early May” for starting to ease additional rules. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Iowa

Iowa had the “equivalent” of a stay-at-home order until April 30. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has mandated through a State Public Health Emergency Declaration that all nonessential businesses remain closed until then. Elective surgeries resumed April 27. She allowed churches to reopen, and restaurants and stores in less-populous counties to reopen at 50 percent capacity on May 1. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Kansas

Kansas’s stay-at-home order expired May 3. At that point, the state will enter “phase one” of Gov. Laura Kelly’s (D) plan to reopen. Day cares and libraries are allowed to reopen. Residents are still encouraged to stay home. Bars, salons, theaters and gyms remain closed until at least May 18. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Kentucky

Kentucky’s “Healthy at Home” order has no set end date. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced “phase one” of the state’s reopening began April 27 by allowing non-essential medical services to resume with restrictions. Manufacturing, pet services, and professional services at limited capacity were allowed to resume May 11. Churches and retail will resume May 20. Salons and gatherings of no more than 10 people can resume May 25. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Louisiana

Louisiana’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 15. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said he hopes to ease restrictions on churches, restaurants and salons, with restrictions, starting May 15. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Maine

Maine’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Gov. Janet Mills (D) issued a “stay safer at home” order until May 31. It encourages people to continue staying home and wearing face masks. Nonessential medical services, salons, drive-in churches, drive-in movie theaters, outdoor recreation including state parks and auto dealerships and car washes were allowed to reopen May 1. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Maryland

Maryland does not have an end date for its stay-at-home order or its executive order to wear face coverings in any retail business or on public transportation. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has promised a “gradual rollout” of any plan to reopen, and plans to reopen businesses based on their classification as low, medium and high risk. Schools are closed until May 15.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ stay-at-home advisory is extended until May 18. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year, and day care centers are closed until the end of June.

Michigan

Michigan’s stay-at-home order now expires May 28. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Friday, in extending the order, also loosened restrictions on activities like boating and golfing, and allowing retailers like Walmart to resume selling nonessential items in stores. Schools remain closed through the rest of the school year.

Michigan and several other states last weekend saw small groups protesting that stay-at-home orders infringe on personal rights. Some protesters specifically pointed to restrictions like the ones on big box stores.

Minnesota

Minnesota’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 18. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) allowed some recreational activities, including golfing, boating, fishing, hunting and hiking, to restart on April 18. Certain non-critical workers were allowed to return to work on April 27 at some offices and at industrial and manufacturing businesses.The state’s public schools are closed through the rest of the year.

Mississippi

Mississippi’s stay-at-home order expired April 27. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said Friday that the state is in a “safer at home” phase lasting until at least May 11, during which residents are recommended to stay home but not required to. Retail stores are allowed to begin reopening at 50 percent capacity, but restaurants are to remain limited to pick-up and curbside service. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Missouri

Missouri’s stay-at-home order is set to expire May 3. Gov. Mike Parson (R) announced all businesses are allowed to reopen May 4 if they follow social distancing guidelines. Some local municipalities – including Kansas City and St. Louis – remain under stay-at-home orders. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Montana

Montana’s stay-at-home order expired April 24. Gov. Steve Bullock (D) has announced a phased reopening. Churches reopened April 26. Retail businesses were allowed to reopen starting April 27 at reduced capacity. Schools are allowed to reopen May 7, along with restaurants at reduced capacity. 

Nebraska

Nebraska does not have a stay-at-home order. Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) announced that churches, restaurants — though not bars or buffets — day cares and salons were allowed to reopen May 4. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

Nevada

Nevada’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 15. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) relaxed restrictions on outdoor activities and allowed retail curbside service and drive-in church services beginning May 1. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) allowed state parks to reopen on May 4. Restaurants are allowed to “phase in” reopenings starting May 18. Schools are closed in the state for the rest of the school year.

New Jersey

New Jersey’s stay-at-home order does not have an end date. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) reopened state parks and golf courses on May 2. Schools in the state are closed for the rest of the school year.

New Mexico

New Mexico’s stay-at-home order now ends May 15. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has called for “a thoughtful, staged and flexible reopening” of the state.

New York

New York’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has said it’s time to “start opening the valve slowly and carefully” and that upstate New York may reopen more quickly than New York City. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has cancelled nonessential events through June.

North Carolina

North Carolina’s stay-at-home order now expires May 8. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has said he plans to lift the restrictions in three phases, not “all at once.” Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

North Dakota

North Dakota does not have a stay-at-home order. However, nonessential businesses are closed in the state through April 30. Gov. Doug Burgum (R) declared that restaurants and bars, salons, fitness centers and movie theaters were allowed to reopen with social distancing restrictions on May 1. Schools are closed “until further notice” but school facilities are allowed to reopen for some activities in May.

Ohio

Ohio’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 29. Elective surgeries resumed May 1. Manufacturing, construction and “general office environments” can reopen May 4. Retail services can resume May 13 with restrictions. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has not announced dates for reopening dine-in restaurants or salons. Schools are closed through the rest of the academic year.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma has a “safer-at-home” order, which recommends people over age 65 stay home, until May 6. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) allowed previously suspended elective surgeries to resume as of April 24. On April 24, nature parks and zoos, as well as spas and tanning salons, reopened. Hair and nail salons also reopened but by appointment only. Schools are closed for the rest of the academic year.

Oregon

Oregon’s stay-at-home order does not have an end date yet. Many businesses are also closed indefinitely. Gov. Kate Brown (D) plans a “smart and deliberate” reopening for the state in phases, beginning by allowing “non-urgent” medical procedures to restart on May 1. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order expires May 8. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has said he plans to ease restrictions starting then on construction, curbside alcohol pickup and vehicle sales. His plan to reopen calls for phases and includes different timelines for different regions of the state.

“I want to caution that we will not be resuming operations as they were in February,” Wolf said April 20. “We’re going to continue to take precautions that limit our physical contact with others, and we will closely monitor this to see if it can be done safely.”

Schools are closed the rest of the school year.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s stay-at-home order expires May 8. Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) plans to reopen on an industry by industry basis, in phases, and has expressed hope that parks and state beaches could reopen in May. Schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster (R) extended South Carolina’s “state of emergency” order closing all nonessential businesses  to May 8. Some public beaches and retail stores, including department stores and bookstores, reopened starting April 21. Public schools are closed through the rest of the school year.

South Dakota

South Dakota does not have a stay-at-home order. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) issued recommendations for getting the state “back to normal.” She has said social distancing efforts have worked to “flatten the curve” in the state, saying the one “hot spot” was the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls. Schools are closed in the state through the rest of the year.

Tennessee

Tennessee’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. Gov. Bill Lee (R) said April 20 that “the vast majority of businesses” will be allowed to re-open. Tennessee state parks reopened April 24, and restaurants were allowed to open for dine-in service with reduced capacity on April 27. Elective surgeries will be allowed to resume starting Friday. Lee has asked that all public schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, although each individual district has to adopt his recommendation. 

Texas

Texas’s stay-at-home order expired April 30. State parks reopened on April 20 and some stores started offering “retail to go” starting April 24, with face coverings required. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced that restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores including malls could reopen at 25 percent capacity starting May 1 and salons can reopen starting May 8.

State schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year.

Utah

Utah’s equivalent of a stay-at-home order expired May 1. Gov. Gary Herbert (R) allowed many businesses to reopen starting May 1, including day cares, gyms and restaurants that follow restrictions. Elective surgeries are also allowed to resume. Herbert’s phased plan indicates some “stabilization” efforts that will likely include some ongoing social distancing continuing through September. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year. 

Vermont

Vermont’s stay-at-home order ends May 15. Schools are closed through the rest of the academic year. Gov. Phil Scott (R) allowed some “low contact” to reopen with a limited two-person staff beginning April 20.

Virginia

Virginia’s stay-at-home order expires June 10. All K-12 schools are closed through the rest of the school year. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) extended his order closing essential businesses through May 14. Nonessential medical procedures resumed May 1.

Washington

Washington’s stay-at-home order is extended until May 31. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has announced a four phase plan to reopen after that date. Some construction work was allowed to resume and the governor offered some leeway on nonessential medical procedures this week. State parks are allowed to reopen May 5. Washington schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

West Virginia

West Virginia allowed certain medical professionals ranging from therapists to pharmacists to return to work April 30. Elective medical procedures resumed April 28. Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced Thursday that non-essential businesses including restaurants with takeaway service or outdoor dining options, churches and salons could resume service starting May 4. Schools are closed through the rest of the school year. 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order expires May 26. Gov. Tony Evers (D) plans a phased reopening. K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year.

Wyoming

Wyoming does not have a stay-at-home order. However, Gov. Mark Gordon (R) has used orders to prohibit gatherings of 10 or more people and close schools and businesses like restaurants. Those orders ends April 30. Gyms, salons and other personal care services were allowed to reopen May 1 with health restrictions. Schools may reopen May 15, pending further guidance.

-Updated May 8

Tags Andrew Cuomo Bill de Blasio Coronavirus Donald Trump Gavin Newsom Jared Polis Jay Inslee John Carney Kristi Noem Michelle Lujan Grisham reopening economy Ron DeSantis Steve Bullock Tim Walz

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