Franklin County Presiding Commissioner Tim Brinker on Tuesday announced the county plans to allow some businesses to reopen as soon as Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At midnight Friday Franklin County’s golf courses, movie theaters, concert halls, gymnasiums, exercise and fitness studios, bowling alleys and skating rinks, all of which have been closed since March 24, will be allowed to reopen, Brinker said Tuesday evening in a YouTube video.
Businesses will still have to follow social distancing guidelines outlined in Gov. Mike Parson’s stay-at-home order, including limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Parson’s order is set to expire May 3.
“We must allow for businesses to thrive and for people to choose,” Brinker said, noting that the decision to allow reopenings came after consulting with Parson.
Brinker said Parson assured him that by Friday the state will provide full parameters for reopening businesses.
Franklin County’s government has been at full staff since Monday, and county buildings will reopen May 1, Brinker said.
Franklin County, which has about 104,000 residents according to recent U.S. census estimates, has reported 105 positive cases of coronavirus, including 10 deaths. Thirty-four people have recovered, Brinker said.
