Several More States Issue 'Stay At Home' Orders in Attempt to Combat Coronavirus

Hoosiers, Oregonians, Michiganders, New Mexicans, Washingtonians, and whatever people from Wisconsin are called are about to have much more boring lives in the immediate future on account of their states issuing "stay at home" orders on Monday. This should affect a good chunk of the 36 million people who call those six states home. 

Additionally, the governors from a trio of other states (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Kentucky) have declared that "non-essential" businesses need to close up shop, though they've stopped short of issuing "stay at home" orders for now. There's something to look forward to if you live in any of those places. 

As for those who went ahead and made the call...

Oregon's governor, Kate Brown, gave out an executive order that's now official and active. That order says residents need to stay home to "the maximum extent possible," and it's set to be carried out until Brown decides to call an end to it. 

The governor's order added that "Failure to comply with the order will be considered an immediate danger to public health and subject to a Class C misdemeanor."

The order shuts down pretty much any venue associated with retail/recreation/entertainment/anything you'd actually want to do. Consider nearly everything closed except for grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants that provide carry-out/delivery. Furthermore, nonessential "social and recreational gatherings regardless of size" are prohibited if they involve people having to stand closer than six feet from one another. 

What a fucking thing to happen right as winter wraps up.

Indiana's governor, Eric Holcomb, sent out a similar executive order that asked “all Hoosiers to hunker down, stay at home, unless you’re going out on an essential errand, or essential work or essential business and operations.”

That order starts at midnight on Wednesday, and will stretch until April 6. However, as people in states where these things are already happening know, that date is simply arbitrary and could be extended if deemed necessary. The Indiana law is "mandatory" and is set to be enforced by the state police. 

By now you likely get the gist, but Michigan's governor (Gretchen Whitmer) also issued an order that goes into effect at midnight, and stretches until April 13. Residents are extremely limited as to what they can do, meaning they can do outdoor activities (though one would think the six-foot social distancing rule applies here), go to the hospital, or go to the grocery store.

A violation is a misdemeanor. 

“Let me be clear: Your grocery stores will still be open. Your pharmacies will remain open. Your banks and credit unions will still be functioning. You can still fill your car with gas," Whitmer said.

Wisconsin governor Tony Evers issued a nearly identical order as his cohorts listed above. Like the others, Evers' state will make exceptions for groceries, doctor visits, picking up medications, etc. He further advised people to limit interactions to a few other fellow humans, and to also cap their social interactions:

Washington's Governor Jay Inslee announced on Monday that he's also issuing a "stay at home" order.

Finally, we get to New Mexico. You must be real bored if you've gotten this far, because it's pretty much indistinguishable from the last four states. As it stands, New Mexico's "stay at home" order starts on Tuesday morning. The types of businesses that will stay open throughout include: banks, laundromats, grocery stores, and pharmacies. The state will also prohibit gatherings of five or more people.  

Places that were already on this list before Monday's announcements include: California, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, and Ohio. 

Welcome.

Anyway, being imprisoned in your own house for an indefinite period of time during this period should be fun for all. If you've paid attention to what other countries are doing, the next step could be even more Draconian, so heed the warning for the greater public good.