♪ >> announcer: this is "nightline." tonight -- back to business in georgia. lunchtime and crunch time in the age of covid-19. reopening at a social distance and in search of pandemic relief despite warnings. >> i don't think we should be reopening the economy yet. i think it's going to cost more lives than it saves. >> a delicate dance of difficult decisions. now stepping into a new normal. is this the way forward or a step back? plus, final moments. health care heroes caring for dying patients. as families are forced to keep their distance. holding hands and hearts. >> they can't be with them. they can't comfort them. they can't say good-bye to them. and it's terrifying for them. >> "nightline" will be right back.

good evening. thanks for joining us. tonight the president unveiling a blueprint to help states ramp up widespread testing that experts say is crucial to get the country running again. this as some states have already started to reopen. georgia today becoming the first to allow residents to dine in at

restaurants. for this neighborhood restaurant in atlanta prepping for the lunch rush started early this morning. >> i'm just going to go around and kind of sanitize -- >> reporter: steven wesley is the owner of roasters. today he's getting ready to welcome back dine-in customers for the first time in six weeks. but not without new precautions. >> we're putting our host out front to keep the people distancing. we're going to have gloves, plastic silverware at all the side stations. >> reporter: staging tables six feet apart. taping off booths to reduce indoor seating by 75%. and sanitizing everything from top to bottom to ensure his patrons and staff feel safe. >> i'm kind of excited because these are my are my are my a but these guys need work. they need to make money. so. >> reporter: it's a difficult

decision business owners like steven are grappling with. to reopen or not. as georgia leads the charge back to work. >> this is a dress rehearsal for the entire country. >> i've taken this measured action, we will get georgians back to work safely without undermining the progress that we all have made. >> reporter: the controversial move made by governor brian kemp sparking criticism, with some questioning whether it's too much too soon. >> but i wasn't happy with brian kemp. i will tell you that right now. >> reporter: as the state continues to weigh the economic damage of stay-at-home orders against public health concerns, the nation now looking to see whether georgia serves as a road map or a cautionary tale. as roughly 26 million people have filed for unemployment. at least a dozen states easing restrictions. >> i think we found the sweet spot. but it's a risk. >> reporter: a risk some governors won't take. >> we know that no one wants a second wave. >> we all have to be smart about it. >> reporter: with the u.s. death toll from covid now surpassing

56,000, some are wondering at what cost. >> if we don't work we'll be homeless or hungry. so we've got to take this risk. >> reporter: for regina herschel, reopening day at her atlanta hair salon was one of excitement and uncertainty. >> the first day i was very nervous but my customers made me feel safe and i made them feel safe as well. so it got easier as the day went on. >> reporter: the decision she says less a choice than it was a necessity. >> i went through pretty much my savings account. i was devastated because i'm like now everything had to shift for me. >> are you worried at all about getting backlash from people? >> i'm not worried. i had some people contact me on social media and you know, they were negative. so what i did, i just blocked it out because i can't walk -- i just blocked them out so i could

put that energy inside of me. >> reporter: in her salon it's not quite business as usual. appointments now come with rubber gloves, face sheeltdieldd temperature checks. regina implementing a hard one in, one out policy. and she's making sure high-risk clients stay home. >> i don't want nobody to get sick just to get their hair done. >> reporter: so you're actually telling people with weakened immune systems to stay away. >> i'm telling them to stay away for their own sake. because it may not even be a salon. they might contract it coming to the salon. so i don't want them to take that risk to venture out to get their heche done. >> reporter: buts beauty shops bowling alleys, even gyms now getting the green light. the governor pointing to a decreasing number of cases, declining e.r. visits and enhance testing as his rationale for easing restrictions. although at least one model projecting the state hasn't yet hit its peak. just a few hours south in

albany, georgia trepidation in a town deeply affected by covid. andrea owens-white is choosing to keep her doors closed. a florist for 33 years, it's a job that has rooted her in the community. weddings, babies, funerals. she's been there for all of it. >> i had proms that were canceled, easter, setups that were canceled. it has just dampened our whole community. >> reporter: and for andrea covid hit home. >> my husband contracted the virus. he spread it to myself and my 92-year-old mother. she was in icu for about five days. >> reporter: andrea and her family have now recovered. but she says without a cure or wider testing her shop will remain shuttered. >> i have applied for unemployment with no response. i have applied for the ppp loan.

still with no response. i am very concerned if this goes on there's a possibility that i could not only lose my business, i could lose my home, everything. i am remaining closed for the protection of myself, my family, and those i care about. >> reporter: with shopds like andrea's closed the state is feeling the painful ripple effects of the stay-at-home order. over the last month 1.1 million georgians have filed for unemployment. public policy analyst george cheady says this will actually hurt hard-working americans. >> i think you need to consider who's actually going to be working in these jobs. we're not talking about six-digit salary jobs. we're talking about the working class of georgia. the idea that we can put them at risk because we fear what's going to happen to government revenue is a disgrace. those lives matter. >> reporter: he says the rush to reopen is far more than just a public health hazard. >> i think governor kemp has

made a mistake. i don't think we should be reopening the economy yet. i think it's going to cost more lives than it saves. >> reporter: and it seems a majority of americans agree it's too soon. an abc news/ipsos poll says that 72% of americans believe that moving too quickly to loosen stay-at-home orders is a greater threat to the country than moving too slowly. and 80% say they're unlikely to head out to public spaces that draw crowds. >> theent businesses are open right now, me and my family, we're still practicing self-isolation. >> reporter: tericca parks is among the covid survivors urging others to stay away. a month ago she was in agony fighting for her life against covid- covid-19. >> something as simple as talking. would be this difficult. [ coughing ] >> it felt like i was using all the energy i had just to stay alive. i felt my body was shutting

down. >> reporter: you lurltly thought you were going to die. >> yes, ma'am. i started living through all the old pictures of me and my kids. i was crying. >> reporter: after weeks of recovering she's now finding her footing in a new normal working at home making jewelry to help support her family until they can return to their day to day. >> i have bracelets here, stones. i do all of this by hand, you guys. >> reporter: and though she empathizes with those who say they need to get back to work, for her and her family it's just too soon. >> so many people right here in the small city of albany, georgia have lost their lives to this virus, and i know that it's not over about. you don't knowho have the virus. even i have some friends say that they're excited to be able to go and get their nails done. it's impossible t practic n a n shop. you're right there in front of the person's face getting their nails done. it was very devastating news to me. i really don't think we were re

of georgia. >> reporter: back in atlanta steven says he has a healthy respect for the virus. he knows covid is still front of mind for so many. >> my daughter is a nurse at north side, works the covid floor. so she tells me all the things that are going on. >> right this way so that way we don't have to step inside. >> reporter: but today he's focused on the survival of small businesses like his. the only way to serve his customers successfully is to do it safely. >> i look at it from both sides. if they don't want to come out then don't come out. i'm supporting my business, my livelihood, my staff. i feel like we just have to move on and get rolling. >> it's clearly a complex issue. reopening the country without endangering lives. a scenario other states are now facing. and to break it all down i spoke earlier with abc news chief medical correspondent dr. jen ashton. tonight we're examining georgia, where there's this divide

between the governor and the mayor of atlanta. even president trump says governor kemp is jumping the gun. what does it mean, jen, to follow the science when it comes to opening back up? >> reporter: well, first, juju, i think it's important to remember we've never been here before. so there's no manual. there's no guide book or playbook here. and i do think it's important to give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they're trying to do the right thing. how we go about that is the million-dollar question. i think when you talk about following the science according to the guidelines what needs to be shown or seen is a sustained downward trajectory over a 14-day period of cases. >> what are the health risks of opening too much too soon, and how might we see those effects unfold? >> well, i think first of all the bottom line is we have remember lives are at stake.

you always have to weight risks of opening, the risks of not opening, the benefits of opening and the benefits of not opening. and again, it's not a matter of when this occurs but how it occurs because it's obvious to everyone regardless of what side they're falling out on that we can't stay closed down until a vaccine is available. that may be another year or more away. >> and so what are the safe ways to reopen if there is such a phrase? >> i think the general consensus is you do it slowly, you do it cautiously, and you have to have provisions in place so that if or when you start to see cases go up you are prepared immediately to pivot on a dime and backtrack to some degree of more aggressive social distancing or, you know, closing down for a period of time. whatever that looks like for the population that we're talking about. we have to have those plans in place so that we can accelerate and we can hit the brake and everything in between. >> slowly and cautiously. those are the watch words.

thanks, dr. jen. >> you bet, juju. up next, the story behind this photo. the moment that changed one nurse forever. stand up to modeo severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill... ...can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some-rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system... ...attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred... ...as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections...and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. take on ra

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daughter's voice was the most beautiful and heartbreaking experience. i could not hold back the tears. i silently promised that i would care for this woman as if she were my own mother. i am so sorry we can't save everyone." earlier today i spoke to meredith about that life-changing experience. >> you shared a very moving experience that you had with a covid patient on facebook over the weekend. can you tell us what happened? >> i was working on saturday and i had a patient. she was elderly. she could no longer even open her eyes. she was so physically exhausted we were unable to get her oxygen levels down. and her daughters asked if we could call from the room. and so i did. it was the only thing i could do for them. she was able to speak a little bit at that time. but i knew that she would probably not leave the hospital. her prognosis was poor at that point.

and essentially, the family was saying good-bye. >> and so what's that like, witnessing those moments where a family is cut off from their loved ones unable to provide comfort in those incredibly painful moments? and here you are having to fill that breach and be that conduit. >> it's not something that we really should be a part of. that should be something that they can do privately. but unfortunately, they can't now. and it's just so cruel and so unfair to these patients and their families but it's what has to be done. it took my breath away. >> there's an e.r. doctor in new york who reportedly died by suicide. and her father was quoted in the "new york times" as saying that his daughter described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus takes on patients. tell me not just about the physical toll but the emotional toll that these days after days after days of being on a covid

ward does to folks. >> it is emotionally and mentally just draining. you know a lot of these patients are not going to get out of there. they're just not. and you go in to work thinking you're going to make a difference. sometimes there's just nothing you can do. it's really frustrating and it's very, very heartbreaking. you know, because we're the only ones that they can see. they can see us. we have on masks. we have on face shields. they can't see anything of us. so it must be terrifying to them as well. and that just starts to wear on them. >> so what's going through your mind at the end of a shift? >> i worry about tomorrow length day i wake up with a fever, that tomorrow will be the day that i start coughing. but it's my job. this is what we signed up for. >> reporter: and what about the

nightly 7:00 cheers and the constant shoutouts from celebrities and television sources? i mean, do you feel the love that the world seems to be directing at first responders right now? >> i do. and honestly i can say that without the words of encouragement i think i would be in a different place mentally. i think it's amazing how people are trying to come together for all these essential workers that are involved. i can only speak for myself, but i know that i don't need thanks but i really appreciate it. >> our thanks to meredith. and we want to thank all the doctors and nurse on the front lines. up next the community in alabama coming together to say you're not alone. hi, it's jan from toyota. many of you still need to be on the road right now. toyota is here to help. we're offering an incredible 0% on our most popular toyotas. that's 0% on camry... 0% on rav4... or 0% on tacoma. plus toyota will defer your payments for up to 90 days.

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finally tonight, in times of uncertainty it takes a village to raise the spirits of those in need. in tresco, alabama hundreds of volunteers coming together to help their community. >> we are in a global pandemic but here we have an epidemic of

kindness, care and concern for our community a our world. >> serving grab and go meals to families in need and gathering supplies for local first responders and hospitals. even the kids pitching in, writing letters to their health care heroes. first-grader carson walker sending a special note. and we add a huge thank you to the volunteers in alabama for making a difference. that's "nightline" for tonight. you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. stay safe. ♪ pa-da-pa, pa-da-pa, pa-da-pa, pa-da-pa ♪ ♪ jimmy kimmel live >> from his house! >> jimmy: hi, i'm jimmy. welcome to my home. hard to believe it's already halloween, isn't it? i hope you had a good weekend.

let me guess, you baked bread and watched the michael jordan documentary? i'm actually feeling great today. this morning i woke up, i rolled up my sleeves, i injected a big syringe of formula 409 into my arm and i am now coronavirus-free. the tide pods appear to be turning against president wackadoodle. dr. donald jingleheimer trump spent the weekend trying to pretend he wasn't really suggesting that maybe we should inject disinfectants into our bodies. he claimed he was being sarcastic with reporters, which was a lie, but i shouldn't say that. i'll let you be the judge of whether it was a lie or not. does this seem, in any way, like he was being sarcastic to you? >> and i think you said you're going to test that, too? sounds interesting. and then i see the disinfectant which knocks it out in a minute. one minute. and is there a way we can do something like that? by injection inside or almost a ea