American states ease restrictions despite 1,000 daily death rate

THE US is rapidly casting off Covid restrictions despite trailing the UK in its race to vaccinate their population.

As the UK remains in tight lockdown, swathes of America are now almost back to business as usual. Texas is “open 100 per cent” according to its governor, who has also done away with any requirement to wear a mask.

In Florida this weekend thousands of students packed on to beaches during Spring Break, while families poured into Disney World.

California, one of the most restrictive states during the pandemic, this week allowed restaurants to open for indoor dining, and permitted gyms and cinemas to operate with limited capacity.

On Friday, Joe Biden celebrated reaching his goal of having 100million vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days. The target was surpassed six weeks early.

But the US still lags behind the UK in rolling out vaccines. The UK has administered about 41 vaccine doses per 100 people. The US effort stands at 35 per 100 people. Both are in the top five nations on this metric.

Around 60,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,000 deaths are still being recorded daily in the US. The UK totals are less than 6,000 cases and around 100 deaths daily, around one tenth of the US levels.

However, the UK remains glued in lockdown. Schools returned on March 8, but not until March 29 will up to six people be allowed to meet outdoors. Only by April 12 will hairdressers and gyms open, along with pubs serving drinks outdoors.

Such restrictions are already unrecognisable in the US. In Florida, tourists are arriving from around the country. Last weekend police made more than 100 arrests in Miami Beach for usual pre-pandemic incidents like drunkenness and disturbing the peace.

Last year, California was the first US state to impose a shelter-in-place lockdown, but it is now reopening apace.

Gavin Newsom, the Democrat governor, said: “We’re going to see even more movement next week, more energy, more optimism about our state and its future.”

California has administered 13million vaccine doses, the most of any US state. But with a population of 40 million it still lags behind the UK, which has administered 28million doses to a population of 67million.

In Texas, America’s second biggest state by population with nearly 30million people, only six million vaccine doses have been administered. But all businesses have been allowed to open fully since March 10. No masks need to be worn in shops, restaurants and bars. When the baseball season starts next month the Texas Rangers stadium will be filled to its 40,518 capacity.

Greg Abbott, the Republican governor, said “Covid-19 has not disappeared” but had reduced to a level where stateimposed restrictions were “no longer needed”. It was up to individuals to take “personal responsibility”, he said.

So far about 12.3 per cent of the US population has been fully vaccinated. Reopening has been hastened partly because, unlike other countries, the US has no issues with vaccine supply. It expects to have enough vaccine for all adults by the end of May.

Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said she is “really worried” about how quickly some states are lifting restrictions and that “we are not there yet”.