Some large cities double down as governors ease coronavirus restrictions

Denver on Friday extended its stay-at-home order until May 8, nearly two weeks longer than Colorado’s statewide restriction.

Denver is one of several cities that will continue to enforce restrictions after measures put in place by their states to mitigate the coronavirus are lifted.

Multiple mayors and governors have noted that urban areas are at higher risk for COVID-19 outbreaks than rural parts of their states due to the population density.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said earlier this week that upstate New York would likely reopen before New York City.

“We’re going to make reopening decisions on a regional basis,” he said Tuesday.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D) said extending the city’s stay-at-home order gives Denver officials “more time” to prepare for relaxing strict guidelines.

Hancock emphasized in his announcement that he is working in cooperation with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), not defying his decision to loosen restrictions in the state. Colorado’s stay-at-home order is set to expire Sunday. 

“The metro area has many of the same challenges Denver does, compared to other parts of the state, and the Governor has been supportive of our efforts to address these challenges,” Hancock tweeted.

“[Polis’s] guidance has been helpful for the entire State, and every elected leader is approaching this from the same place – doing what is best for the people of our communities and the whole of Colorado,” he continued.

New Orleans will also remain shuttered longer than its surrounding state. New Orleans’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 16, while Louisiana’s is set to end May 1.

Similarly, while Missouri’s stay-at-home order is relaxing on May 3, its largest metropolitan areas will remain under restrictions.

Kansas City’s stay-at-home order lasts until May 15 and St. Louis’s does not yet have an end date, according to The Kansas City Star.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, the Atlanta mayor is at odds with Gov. Brian Kemp (R) over the timing of loosening restrictions for the city. 

“Certainly as mayor, my power does not supersede that of governor, but I do have the power of my voice,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) told MSNBC on Tuesday, one day after Kemp announced he would allow some businesses to reopen this week. “I am asking people to please stay home.”

As states across the nation begin to announce plans for reopening, most governors are promising a gradual or “phased-in” approach, with many saying a regional approach could mean timeline differences across individual states.