Explainer: Cases spike in southern states
by Lo Jackson
People are excited to get back to the normal life of going wherever they want, whenever they want, shopping where they’d like and dining-in where they’d like. Some southern states like South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have already begun lifting stay-at-home and work orders and re-opening their economies.
(Photo: Chandan Khanna)
However, many southern civilians feel that Governors Henry McMaster (SC) and Brian Kemp (GA), opening up their economies so soon will only cause a spike in the number of cases and deaths.
Although McMaster still emphasizes the importance of wearing masks and continuing to practice social-distancing, many coastal leaders like Mayor Steve Benjamin of Columbia, SC, said “city officials need to see data that shows a more than two-week decline of cases before he endorses any reopening idea.”
Friday, May 1, when beaches and parks began to open back up, the number of confirmed cases in South Carolina went up 141 with an increase of 8 deaths since that Saturday, May 2, according to WYFF.
The state of Georgia has shown similar spikes with just under 300 confirmed cases since Saturday with 3 new deaths. Gov. Brian Kemp allowed some businesses, including dine-in restaurants, gyms, and hair salons, to reopen and elective surgeries to resume.
According to The State, South Carolina’s U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham backed McMaster’s store reversal but stopped short of supporting Kemp. Graham tweeted that he was worried Kemp’s order was “too fast too soon.” “What happens in Georgia will impact us in South Carolina,” Kemp also tweeted.
With many people not taking the virus as seriously as they should be and lack of taking the recommended precautions, the number of cases and deaths in the U.S. will continue to increase.
McMaster extended South Carolina’s “state of emergency” until May 8. According to The Hill, some parks and retail stores, including department stores and bookstores have already reopened.
Although states are lifting their stay-at-home and work orders, people should still be very cautious and remember that this pandemic is not completely over.
Hello readers, I hope this explainer gave you insight into what things are currently like in some southern states. I live in SC. Please wear a mask when you are in public, practice social distancing, and wash your hands as frequently as possible so we can keep one another safe!
