A construction worker walks past a mural painted on a boarded up business that is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Austin, Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he is relaxing some restrictions that have been imposed on some businesses. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Tension brews as some states start lifting coronavirus measures while others keep them in place
Some states across the country are beginning to lift stringent stay-at-home orders in an effort to reopen their economies after several weeks of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The biggest leap to resume normalcy out of any other state is Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to reopen businesses in Texas, even allowing retail stores, restaurants and movie theaters to open up to customers -- albeit at a limited capacity -- starting on Friday, May 1.
Texas has the country's second-largest economy behind California but like much of the country has seen the crippling effects of prolonged lockdowns due the spread of COVID-19. Texas has had the 10th highest number of coronavirus infections in the country and continues to grapple with 25,292 cases.
Despite this, Abbott said businesses will be allowed to accommodate customers at 25 percent capacity, but everyone is advised to abide by social distancing rules. Bars, barbershops, hair salons and gyms, however, will remain closed.
In Tennessee, Georgia and Alaska, restaurants began reopening to dine-in customers, with new rules such as temperature checks at the door and logging of customer information for possible contact tracing.
In other states, the return to normalcy seems further away and, in some cases, exceedingly more complicated. In Illinois, a judge issued a temporary injunction against Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday after he extended his state's lockdown to May 30. Pritzker has ordered that everyone wear a face mask when in public and sustained that all nonessential businesses remain closed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Governors in several states, such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and others, that were hardest hit by the virus, are looking to beef up contact tracing and amplify testing before confidently easing their state's restrictions. Click here for more on our top story.
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Top New York City ER doctor, shaken by coronavirus onslaught, commits suicide, shaken by coronavirus onslaught
The head of the emergency department at a Manhattan hospital committed suicide after spending days on the front lines of the coronavirus battle, her family said Monday.
“She tried to do her job, and it killed her,’’ Dr. Philip Breen told the New York Times of his physician daughter, Dr. Lorna Breen, who had been medical director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital amid the pandemic.
The battle-weary ER doctor, 49, was only the latest city health care worker to take her own life.
Two days earlier, a Bronx EMT witnessing the virus’s ruthless toll fatally shot himself with a gun belonging to his retired NYPD cop dad. Click here for more.
Other coronavirus developments:
- California urgent care doctor questions stay-at-home orders
- Head of nurses union explains lawsuit against New York hospitals over lack of protective equipment
- Coronavirus in the US: State-by-state breakdown
- Coronavirus: What you need to know
Washington Post blasted for claiming 'Trump allies' are 'amplifying' Biden accuser Tara Reade
The Washington Post was slammed late Monday night for questionable framing of the latest developments that emerged surrounding the allegations made by Biden accuser Tara Reade.
Reade, who came forward last month accusing former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault as a Senate staffer in 1993, has had more corroborating evidence surface in recent days.
A clip from "Larry King Live" back in 1993 purportedly showing Reade's mother calling into the show anonymously and alluded to her daughter's "problems" she had with a "prominent senator" was brought to light on Friday. And on Monday, two more people, a former neighbor and a former colleague of Reade's, came forward to back her claims after conversations they've had back in the 90s.
However, a piece published by The Post raised eyebrows with its original headline that read, "Developments in allegations against Biden amplify efforts to question his behavior." Not long after it was published, a new headline appeared in the report, "Trump allies highlight new claims regarding allegations against Biden." Click here for more.
Other related developments:
- Reporter says 'lifelong Democrat' who backs Biden accuser's claims came forward
- Reade trashes Alyssa Milano for defending Biden
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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Stay healthy, stay safe, and try to be positive - we will get through this coronavirus pandemic together. We'll see you in your inbox first thing Wednesday morning.
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