What do “Stay At Home” orders mean?

The following is excerpted from a recent article in USA Today.

States and counties across the nation are cracking down on residents’ movements amid the continued spread of the coronavirus.

While some officials are instituting “shelter-in-place” orders, others are calling their directives “stay-at-home” orders. The directives differ by location but generally require residents to avoid all nonessential outings and stay inside as much as possible. 

Don’t panic, the orders are not “lockdowns.” They allow residents to continue performing tasks essential to the health and safety of family and pets. It’s still fine to buy groceries, go for a run, walk the dog, pick up medicine, visit a doctor or get supplies to work from home.


Federal guidelines give state and local authorities leeway in what they consider “essential” businesses during an emergency. But in general, those industries include grocery stores and food production, pharmacies, health care, utilities, shipping, banking, other governmental services, law enforcement, emergency personnel and journalists.

As of March 23 at 7 a.m. Stay at Home orders have been officially issued by the following states. Even if your state is not listed, medical experts urge everyone to limit their contact with everyone outside their immediate family group.

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Wisconsin