More US states commence lifting virus lockdown orders
More US states are starting to lift lockdown orders even while US leaders say social distancing guidelines will be necessary through the entire summer.
But governors warn that life will not quickly go back to normal, and that restrictions will stay occasionally to keep carefully the virus from resurging.
On Friday, the united states saw its major single-day spike in cases.
But the infection rate has dropped drastically in a number of hotspots, including NY, the US epicentre.
As of Sunday, the united states has over 940,000 recorded coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 54,000 deaths.
Public health experts warn that lifting restrictions too early could cause another wave of infections. The decision to get rid of mandatory orders comes as over 26m Americans seek unemployment protection, and the jobless rate climbs to around 16% of the population.
Even while state governors allow orders to expire, some city mayors have issued their own separate plans to get rid of local lockdowns rules.
How are states reopening?
At one point, over 90% of the united states population was under mandatory lockdown orders, however, many states commenced lifting orders over the weekend allowing some Americans to come back to hair salons and tattoo parlours.
Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and SC have previously allowed some businesses to reopen. They and other states have issued plans that demand more rules to be relaxed in the coming week.
Colorado's Democratic Governor Jared Polis has said kerb-side retail pickup can get started on Monday, with hair salons, barbershop and tattoo parlours permitted to reopen on Friday.
Tennessee will allow restaurants to reopen on Monday, the same day that Mississippi's mandatory lockdown order expires.
Montana's governor has allowed churches to reopen starting on Sunday, with social distancing measures still required. Restaurants and schools will be permitted to reopen on 7 May.
Eight states led by Republican governors - Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming - never issued mandatory orders to remain at home.
What have officials said?
On Sunday, White House coronavirus taskforce co-ordinator Dr Deborah Birx said social distancing will stay the norm "through the summer to really make sure that we protect each other as we move through these phases".
Her comments come after Vice-President Mike Pence said the virus will be largely "behind us" by the 25 May Memorial Day holiday, which signals the unofficial start of summertime in america.
Dr Birx told Fox News this weekend that new cases and deaths "will be dramatically decreased by the end of May".
On Sunday, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said it would be impractical to force persons to remain within their homes all throughout the summer with nothing to accomplish.
"There's a sanity equation here," he says, pointing to reports that domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health problems have already increased.
The death rate has dropped in NY, with 367 deaths on Saturday weighed against 437 on Friday. It represents the lowest increase since 30 March.
Governor Cuomo said that transmission rates, in addition to death rates, would dictate how so when the state reopens.
He added that some business sectors might be able to consider reopening after his lockdown order expires on 15 May - but only when the spot has seen a two-week decline in infections as outlined by recommendations from the united states Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
