photo credit:  Sue Smith // Shutterstock

It looks like Georgia is the first to take a leap of faith in this COVID-19 pandemic.

Their governor Brian Kemp has announced that on Friday, April 24th, he will allow fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, hair and nail salons, and massage therapy businesses to reopen. Theaters, restaurants and churches will be allowed to open on Monday, April 27, with strict social distancing guidelines, while bars and night clubs will remain closed for now, Kemp added.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there are now 18,947 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state, with 733 reported deaths. He also said the Department of Public Health is starting to see a flattening of coronavirus cases and a decline of people being hospitalized for the virus.

The elderly and medically fragile patients have to shelter in place until at least May 13th.

How will they continue to keep people safe? The state has partnered with the state university system to for more testing, according to Kemp, and a new app will now allow residents to see the status of their tests within 72 hours.

Source: The Shaderoom