For 15 months, Kentuckians of all walks of life have dutifully followed the best advice of health experts and government officials in a collective effort to protect public health in the face of the world-changing coronavirus pandemic. The vast majority have done so without complaint and with full understanding of the stakes, despite the myriad disruptions to daily routines, educational aspirations and financial well-being.

Thankfully, a date has finally been set for when Kentucky will fully lift most government-imposed capacity restrictions and entrust business owners, their patrons and the general public to find their own way into whatever “normalcy” awaits us in a post-shutdown world. On Friday morning – less than 24 hours after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks and social distancing inside in most places – Gov. Andy Beshear announced that, with a few specific exceptions, Kentucky will again allow 100% capacity in most locations effective June 11.

In the wake of the CDC’s long-awaited announcement, we join many who would’ve preferred that Beshear end the state’s capacity restrictions immediately (he said Friday that the June 11 date was chosen in order to allow time for children ages 12 to 15 to receive vaccinations). That said, we celebrate the fact that we now know with certainty when we will resume something resembling our pre-COVID lives, as well as when business owners may earnestly begin the process of rebuilding.

To be clear, we do not minimize the severity of the health situation at hand. The loss of life statewide and around the world has been tragic, and many others who have survived COVID will experience lingering after-effects for years to come – and in some cases, for the rest of their lives. There is simply no rational way to dispute the seriousness of the pandemic.

Still, the concept of “public good” has many facets – one of which is, of course, public health. But after 15 months, it is clear that other aspects of life are overdue for attention and care. Across the state, businesses of all sizes have been forced to close or teeter on the brink of collapse due to the total shutdowns that occurred in the early phases of the pandemic, followed by Kentucky’s months of slow, incremental steps toward full reopening. But the moment has at last arrived that will give desperate business owners a fighting chance.

Common sense suggests that for some businesses, a full reopening on paper will not be a full reopening in practice. There are still sizable swaths of customers, owners and employees who will not feel comfortable inside spaces that are again filled to pre-COVID capacity levels. It is entirely reasonable to allow people to make their own choices about their own environments, and because of that, it is likely that the recovery process will continue to be slow for some businesses, even after all restrictions are lifted.

However, the prevailing issue, in our minds, is giving businesses the freedom to operate in a manner that owners believe gives them the best chance for success, rather than continuing the government mandates that hinder their chances for survival. We regret that it took Beshear so long to address the urgency of rejuvenating the business sector and allowing Kentucky residents to resume their normal activities, but we are grateful that he has finally put those wheels in motion.

All Kentuckians have sacrificed much for more than a year, and soon we will all have the opportunity to move past this dark chapter in history on our own terms.