Missouri will be the first state to resume live events on May 4.
The latest measure was included in Gov. Mike Parson’s Show Me Strong recovery plan, which also outlines how the state’s economy will begin reopening on Monday, Billboard reports. Large events and gatherings are no longer forbidden; residents will be able to attend concerts and go to movie theaters and stadiums, where “seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements.”
Keeping social distancing in mind, the plan also permits retail stores to welcome customers in limited quantities, and for restaurants to allow patrons to dine-in.
A Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services rep explained that concerts don’t have to follow the same capacity guidance as retail businesses. Still, concertgoers must remain at least six feet from each other. “There are currently no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families,” the Show Me Strong recovery plan states.
These new measures don’t apply to the state’s bigger cities, St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City, where lockdown orders are still ongoing. “We will continue to be guided by data, not dates,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson tweeted on Friday.
Venues in smaller cities, like The Blue Note in Columbia, will also not reopen on Monday. The venue has chosen to continue livestreaming its Social Distraction concert series through May 15.
“We are currently assessing the details of the announcement and the latest information from health experts,” Matt Gerding of FPC Live, which manages The Blue Note, told Billboard. “We hope to chart a path to reopening as soon as possible but have not determined the timing of that just yet.”
This news arrives around the same time a new poll which shows that, even if states lift COVID-19 restrictions, most Americans will avoid large events until a vaccine has been developed.
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