So far, 39 states have issued state-wide shelter-in-place orders, including Maryland and Virginia on March 30; Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania on April 1; Mississippi on April 2; and Alabama on April 4. Just about as many other states have decided to leave shelter-in-place orders up to the discretion of local governments.
A shelter-in-place order is when a state or local government tells its citizens to stay at home for all non-essential travel. That means people aren’t supposed to eat out at restaurants, gather in crowded public spaces, or frequent non-essential businesses. A shelter-in-place order, though, does allow you to buy groceries, pick up restaurant takeout orders, travel to medical appointments, and procure pharmaceutical needs.
States which have issued mandatory shelter-in-place orders include:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Some states have left it up to local governments. Here are the major cities that are now in a shelter-in-place order:
- Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma City, Stillwater)
- South Carolina (Beaufort, Charleston, Columbia)
- South Dakota (Sioux Falls)
- Tennessee (Franklin, Nashville, Memphis)
- Texas (Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, San Antonio, Waco)
- Utah (Salt Lake City)
- Washington D.C.
- Wyoming (Jackson)
As of April 6, here were the four states with no shelter-in-place orders within their borders:
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
Sources: New York Times, Newsweek, Indianapolis Star, SF Gate
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