Woman who organized anti-lockdown rally in New Jersey is arrested for violating stay-at-home orders

A woman who helped organize a COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest in New Jersey was charged for defying stay-at-home orders on Friday, authorities said.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s office said Kim Pagan, of Toms River, was charged with violating emergency orders after she organized a protest against the state’s lockdown in Trenton. 

Gov. Phil Murphy first implemented the coronavirus emergency orders last month. New Jersey as at least 78,467  confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,840 deaths.  

Video shared to Facebook by Central Jersey Libertarians showed a police officer writing summonses as protestors shout and honk their cars’ horns near the statehouse. 

On Friday, anti-lockdown protestors in Trenton, New Jersey, held a rally hitting back at Gov. Phil Murphy’s coronavirus emergency lockdown orders that have closed nonessential businesses and mandated stay-at-home orders

Cell phone footage taken from the protest showed a New Jersey police officer writing summonses as upset protesters yelled and defiantly honked their car horns 

‘We have a right to peacefully protest,’ one woman shouted, as the officer walked by a car window that reads ‘playdemic.’

State stay-at-home protests also popped up in a Walmart parking lot in Hamilton. Protesters arrived with signs, American flags and wrote anti-lockdown messages on car windows, NBC New York reports. 

One window read: ‘MURPHY’S LAW WORSE THAN COVID-19.’ 

Gov. Murphy said New Jersey has not yet plateaued during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He said: ‘Even if the rate of our increase is lessening, which it’s hard to argue it hasn’t over the past week, we have two realities that we cannot escape. One is it is still increasing.

‘So with all due respect to this notion that we’ve found some plateau, we’re not at any plateau.’

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (pictured)  instated COVID-19 lockdown orders last week as he told residents cases have not yet plateaued

In recent days, thousands of Americans have flooded the streets with anti-lockdown protests as President Donald Trump voiced his support to ‘liberate’ states on Twitter. 

Protests have appeared in several states like Oklahoma, Texas, Idaho, Virginia, Michigan, Florida, California, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina and Minnesota.    

In Huntington Beach, California, around 100 demonstrators defied the state’s stay-at-home orders and gathered in downtown to protest the continued lockdown.

A group of about 100 protesters gathered in downtown Huntington Beach, California, on Friday to protest the state’s stay-at-home orders

The protest, which was organized through social media, included people holding signs which read ‘Live free or die.’

Some of the protesters periodically erupted in chants of ‘USA! USA!’ while motorists driving by honked their horns in support, The Orange County Register reported. 

‘Our freedom has been taken away from us, people are locked in their homes,’ Nicole Brown, a 50-year-old resident of Costa Mesa, told the Register.

Brown said that while she sympathized with those who fell ill with COVID-19, she believed that quarantining should be optional rather than mandated by the state.

Some of the protesters waved pro-Trump banners while another wore a mock white medical suit and held a sign calling coronavirus a ‘lie.’

The protest was organized through social media and included people waving Trump banners on Friday

In Frankfort, Kentucky, a caravan-style protest was held as drivers drove around the state capitol denouncing Governor Andy Beshear’s stay-at-home orders.

Protesters, whose ‘drive-thru’ protest was in line with social distancing orders imposed by the state, told WKYT-TV that the governor’s decision to shut down commerce was unconstitutional.

‘When they started collecting license plate numbers that was one step too far,’ said Brett Beaderson, one of the protesters. 

Beaderson referred to Beshear’s order banning gatherings of more than 10 people during Easter Sunday.

Beshear said that state officials would enforce the ban by collecting license plate numbers of local residents who attended church services in violation of stay-at-home orders. 

Dozens of people protesting Oregon’s stay-at-home order drove around the state Capitol in Salem on Friday, horns blaring, and a lawmaker asked the governor to ease restrictions for medical procedures for non-coronavirus patients.

These protesters are seen outside the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, on Friday during a demonstration

Several protesters waved American flags and brandished banners in favor of Trump during the protest in Salem on Friday

Protesters outside the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, drive around on Friday 

State Rep. Cheri Helt, a moderate Republican from Bend, credited Governor Kate Brown for imposing the stay-at-home order and social distancing.

But she said in a letter it’s time to ‘slowly and carefully begin lifting regulations that have essentially shut down access to health care and medical procedures in Central Oregon for anything unrelated to COVID-19.’

Helt noted that the order has affected the health care industry and patients who must wait for procedures.

Some hospitals in Oregon have seen revenue decline as much as 60 per cent in a month, Becky Hultberg, CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, said recently.

Meanwhile the Oregon Health Authority reported six new COVID-19 deaths Friday for a total of 70 in the state.

State officials also reported 49 new cases, increasing to 1,785 the total number of people statewide who have tested positive for the disease as of Friday. 

Organizers said the Salem rally was aimed at getting their constitutional rights back and getting Oregonians back to work, KEZI-TV reported.

Brown issued an order for Oregonians to stay home starting March 23 and banned non-essential gatherings and travel after crowds descended on the state’s beach towns and hiking trails the previous weekend.

Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, is under pressure to lift restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus

Brown said earlier this week that she won’t reopen Oregon’s economy or ease restrictions until she sees a declining rate of active virus cases and public health data suggesting a return to normalcy is safe.

Also on Friday, Brown signed an executive order to prevent creditors or debt collectors from garnishing federal coronavirus aid bill payments.

‘Many Oregonians, through no fault of their own, are struggling to pay their bills, their rent, or even buy essentials like groceries and prescription drugs,’ Brown said in a news release.

‘These recovery checks were meant to provide relief, not reward debt collection agencies for preying on Oregonians who have lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Additionally, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the coronavirus has so far infected 10 people who live or work in state-funded homes for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The disease has struck one person in 10 separate homes: a foster home for children, three foster homes for adults and six adult group homes, according to data state officials provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The homes are in southern Oregon, with one case each in Jackson and Klamath counties, in the Willamette Valley, with four cases in Marion, Lane and Linn counties, and in the Portland area, with four infected homes in Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties.

In Minnesota, upset protestors gathered outside the home of Gov. Tim Walz on Friday. Grassroots Trump supporters organized the protest under the theme ‘Liberate Minnesota.’

A woman above drives on a scooter while wearing a helmet designed to look like the coronavirus on Friday in Minnesota 

Very few practiced social distancing or wore masks. Dozens carried American flags or signs bearing messages such as ‘Reopen MN.’ Others drove past in vehicles bearing signs against the restrictions.

Republican US Senate candidate Jason Lewis, who has made reopening businesses a focus of his campaign to unseat Democratic Senator Tina Smith, expressed support for the protesters as he made several passes past the mansion in his campaign RV.

Walz previously has said the state needs to significantly expand its testing capacity before it can begin relaxing restrictions, despite increasing pressure from Republicans to move quickly. 

The number of people infected with the coronavirus has climbed by 159 to 2,071, while 17 new fatalities have raised the state’s death toll to 111, the Minnesota Department of Health reported.

As of Friday, 223 patients were hospitalized – 10 more than Thursday – and 106 of them were in intensive care, an increase of three.

A woman leans out the window of her truck to take a selfie with fellow protesters during the ‘Liberate Minnesota’ protest in St. Paul on Friday

The crowd of protesters cheers as an American flag with the president’s likeness is unfurled during the demonstration in St. Paul on Friday

A man wearing a red pro-Trump hat attends a demonstration in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday

Walz loosened some restrictions Friday by signing an executive order that allows residents to golf, boat, fish, hunt and hike as long as they follow new outdoor recreation guidelines: maintain six feet of social distancing; avoid crowded areas; and stay close to home.

Businesses that could reopen starting Saturday include golf courses, bait shops, marinas and outdoor shooting ranges.

Campgrounds, recreational equipment retail and rental stores, charter boats and guided fishing remain closed.

Florida saw a protest of around 100 people in downtown Orlando on Friday with people waving state flags, signs and chanting outside the Orange County Administration Building. 

One sign read ‘My Body My Choice Goes For Vaccines Too,’ according to WFTV. 

Organizers with ‘Reopen Florida, created by resident Tara Hill, urged. Gov. Ron DeSantis to reopen the state’s economy. 

A truck supporting protesters demanding Florida businesses and government reopen honks at a gathering in downtown Orlando on Friday

Several protesters wave American flags and banners in support of President Trump during a demonstration in Orlando on Friday

Hill said she hopes Florida is ‘completely open by May 1st with absolutely no restrictions on the movement of Floridians. We are free people.’

‘A mass rally shows the governor that many people want this, many Floridians — it’s not just a small fringe group. Many Floridians – I’m seeing young people, older people, I saw a pregnant woman over there,’ she said. 

Hill said protestors don’t believe the mandated health guidelines should be mandatory and she trusts Floridians to properly take care of their own health concerns. 

Mayor Buddy Dyer responded to the protest and chastised them for risking not only theirs, but other citizens health. 

‘There are some people that don’t accept science or facts, and I suspect that’s a bunch of them that’s out front,’ he said.

‘What I’d probably do is suggest that they have an opportunity to speak with family members of somebody who has died from COVID-19. Maybe that would wake them up a little bit.’

Some protesters hold signs which read ‘Re-Open Florida’ and ‘Everyone’s Essential’ in Orlando on Friday

The protests in Orlando were condemned by local leaders who accused the crowd of endangering themselves and others during a pandemic

Meanwhile, some beaches in Florida have been reopened this week. 

The Virginia capitol building saw three anti-lockdown groups join forces on Thursday morning to hit back at lockdown orders. Gov. Ralph Northam closed nonessential businesses until May 8.  

Protester Marco Caceres told NBC 12: ‘Who is he to determine what is essential in our society and what is not? I believe the liquor stores are open. Is that essential? There are a lot of things that are open that many people don’t consider essential.

‘You’re trying to supposedly cure a problem but you’re doing more damage in my opinion than you are trying to cure the problem by forcing people to stay in their homes, not be able to earn a living, you know isolation kills, too.’

Marco Caceres: ‘You’re trying to supposedly cure a problem but you’re doing more damage in my opinion than you are trying to cure the problem by forcing people to stay in their homes, not be able to earn a living, you know isolation kills, too’

Three anti-lockdown groups in Virginia banned together to protest the state’s stay-at-home orders on Friday 

Like other state protestors, the Virginians forwent face masks and gloves during the rally. 

‘The reason why I’m not wearing a mask is that I’m not going to have someone tell me I have to,” said protester Benjamin Wright.

‘It seems ridiculous to me that a lot of businesses are closed. A lot of my friends who own their businesses are in risk of going out of business over this.’  

The wave of protests appeared to have started in Lansing, Michigan, after protestors waving confederate flags and donning MAGA hats stood outside of the state capitol building on April 15. 

The gathering was an angry response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order last Thursday where she imposed one of the strictest set of lockdown guidelines in the country. 

Furious demonstrators waving Make America Great Again flags leaned out of their car windows and chanted ‘lock her up’ in heavy traffic as part of #OperationGridlock – a stunt set up by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Besty DeVos family-linked conservative group, Michigan Freedom Fund.

Coronavirus anti-lockdown rallies first caught national attention after a group of protestors swarmed Michigan’s state building this week (pictured) 

Protestors were fighting against Michigan’s Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s statewide lockdown as the coronavirus continues to infect thousands in the state 

Thousands of drivers caused havoc around the building in Lansing and backed traffic up for a mile, but hundreds defied pleas from organizers to stay in their cars by heading to the capitol steps to vent their anger at the stringent policies, which they believe are violating their constitutional rights.

Some said they would rather die from coronavirus than see the small businesses being crippled and forced to close because of the pandemic, which has so far left 28,000 infected and 5,000 dead in Michigan.

Members of the crowd – many not wearing protective medical masks and some armed with assault rifles – shouted ‘Recall Whitmer’, waved Confederate flags, showed off Trump-Pence 2020 posters and held banners saying ‘Heil Whitmer’ and ‘live free or die’.

Many said the closure of home improvement stores, greenhouses, hairdressers, landscaping companies and the banning of boating and fishing was the source of their anger.

Photos of the protest show several people disregarding social distancing guidelines and interacting without protective gear as they held signs that read ‘1984 no more!’ 

The governor criticized the protesters for risking themselves and others taking part in the protest by touching each other, handing out food with their bare hands and blocking an ambulance. She also said it was ironic that a group rallying against her stay-at-home order ‘may have just created a reason to lengthen it’.

In response to the backlash, Gov. Whitmer doubled down on her orders and urged residents to focus on public health. 

‘You know, I can take it. If it makes people feel better to take their frustrations out on me, that’s fine. All I ask is let’s not get overly political here. Let’s focus on the public health,’ she said on Good Morning America.

‘It’s better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under,’ she added. 

President Trump doubled down on his tweets to ‘LIBERATE’ Michigan, Virginia and Minnesota on Friday saying he thought protesters who were mad about the Democratic governors’ stay at home orders were ‘treated a little bit rough’ 

President Trump doubled down on his tweets to ‘LIBERATE’ Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, telling reporters Friday evening that the Democratic governors in those states went too far – and the protesters were treated badly. 

‘You could get the same result out of doing a little bit less,’ Trump said of the stay at home orders in those three states. ‘You know, they’ve been treated a little bit rough,’ he said of those protesting against the lockdowns, who were often photographed wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia.  

Trump admitted that he singled out Virginia because the state’s governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, had signed a new gun control law.   

‘They want to take their guns away, they want to take their guns away,’ the president said during the Friday press briefing. ‘If he were a Republican he would be under siege,’ Trump said. 

Trump called the new Virginia gun laws ‘a horrible thing’ and also reminded his audience of Northam’s previous scandal – that he had dressed up in blackface, which appeared in a yearbook. 

At the briefing, Trump particularly went after Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, saying the new Virginia laws Northam signed into law were a ‘horrible thing’  

‘And he’s a governor under a cloud to start off with,’ Trump said. 

Trump made himself the star of the ‘lockdown rebellion’ Friday – which has pit governors against their constituents – by tweeting ‘LIBERATE Minnesota’ and then adding Michigan and Virginia to the list of states that should be freed.  

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee launched a scathing condemnation of Trump over his tweets, accusing him of ‘fomenting domestic rebellion.’ 

A reporter asked Trump about Inslee’s comments at the briefing, which got the president going on Northam and Virginia’s new gun laws.    

Inslee, whose state had the first U.S. case of coronavirus, the first deaths, and the first restrictions, launched a lengthy broadside against Trump, calling his tweets ‘unhinged rantings,’ and accusing him of risking violence.

Inslee was called a ‘snake’ by Trump, who mocked his failed presidential run, during an earlier clash with governors but the Washington Democrat’s lengthy attack came hours after New York’s Andrew Cuomo unloaded on Trump on live television, mocking his demand for gratitude for federal help and saying: ‘Thank you for doing your job.’

Governors have increasingly clashed with Trump, particularly after his head-snapping week which saw him first proclaim ‘total authority’ to decide on re-opening the country, then a complete volte-face to saying states ‘call the shots.’ 

The Washington governor said: ‘The president’s statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. 

‘He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to ‘liberate’ states could also lead to violence.’

He called the tweets ‘fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies’ and said they were in contrast to the ‘sensible’ guidelines Trump had unveiled Thursday on re-opening the economy.

But he suggested Trump was not the master of the plan, saying ‘Trump slowly read his script,’ and added: ‘Less than 24 hours later, the president is off the rails. He’s not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric.’  

Governors against Trump: Washington’s Jay Inslee called Trump’s ‘ranting’ in support of ‘liberate’ demonstrations ‘unhinged’ in a personal and lengthy condemnation, while in St Paul, Minnesota governor Tim Walz was targeted at home by protesters waving Trump banners

How Inslee went after Trump – scroll down to read his full statement

The president began by tweeting ‘LIBERATE MINNESOTA!’ as protesters gathered at the home of the Democratic governor Friday morning – then followed by offering the same message in Michigan

Then the president said that Michigan and Virginia, two more states under Democratic control, should also be liberated, adding in Virginia that the 2nd Amendment needed to be ‘saved’ 

INSLEE ON TRUMP: HIS FULL STATEMENT 

The president’s statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to ‘liberate’ states could also lead to violence. We’ve seen it before.

The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.

Just yesterday, the president stood alongside White House officials and public health experts and said science would guide his plan for easing restrictions. The White House released a sensible plan laying out many of the guidelines that I agree are essential to follow, as we work to resume economic activity. Trump slowly read his script and said the plan was based on ‘hard, verifiable data’ and was done ‘in consultation with scientists, experts and medical professionals across government.’

Less than 24 hours later, the president is off the rails. He’s not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric.

We appreciate our continued communication with the vice president, Dr. Birx, Admiral Polowczyk, Admiral Giroir and others in the federal government, but their work is undermined by the president’s irresponsible statements.

I hope someday we can look at today’s meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned. But we don’t have that luxury today. There is too much at stake.

‘The president’s call to action today threatens to undermine his own goal of recovery by further delaying the ability of states to amend current interventions in a safe, evidence-based way. His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions.

‘I hope political leaders of all sorts will speak out firmly against the president’s calls for rebellion. Americans need to work together to protect each other. It’s the only way to slow the spread of this deadly virus and get us on the road to recovery.’ 

And he warned: ‘His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions.’

The clash came one day after the president’s coronavirus taskforce rolled out guidelines that would give governors broad power to decide when states’ economies would open back up amid the coronavirus pandemic.   

But governors, including Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, have attracted protests from constituents complaining that the stay at home orders to prevent the spread of the deadly virus have trampled on their liberty. 

All three states that Trump singled out have Democratic governors – and are potentially swing states in the 2020 election. 

On Wednesday, thousands of protesters showed up to Michigan’s state capitol in their vehicles to demonstrate against Whitmer’s order – the strictest in the nation. 

Whitmer has banned residents from visiting their neighbors and has told large retailers to close off sections dedicated to home improvement goods.   

The protest – called ‘Operation Gridlock – was devised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is linked to the family of Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.     

It featured some of the elements of a Trump campaign rally including ‘lock her up’ chants and large Trump 2020 flags. Some protesters also brought Confederate flags, despite Michigan being part of the Union during the Civil War. 

‘We are all on the same team when it comes to defeating COVID-19. Right now the governor is focused on saving lives and protecting Michigan families,’ a spokesperson for Whitmer said, responding to the president’s tweet.

‘As the governor has said, we’re not going to reopen Michigan’s economy via tweet,’ the spokesperson added. 

Whitmer did say Friday morning, however, that she hoped she would be able to open a part of the Michigan economy by May 1 – the day that Trump has been touting, as it marks the expiration of the ’30 Days to Slow the Spread’ federal guidelines. 

‘I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1st, but it’s two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly,’ she said. 

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Whitmer was asked if the president’s tweet were encouraging protesters. 

‘I hope that it’s not encouraging more protests,’ she told reporters. 

She commiserated with the underlying concerns. ‘People are feeling very anxious, you know?’  

‘The last thing I want to do is have a second wave here, so we’ve got to be really smart,’ she said. 

She also responded to another planned protest, which is supposed to take place next Wednesday. 

‘I totally respect people’s right to dissent and voice their disagreement with decisions I’ve made,’ she said. ‘If people are going to come to town I ask them that they do so that keeps themselves safe and others as well.’  

And on Thursday and Friday, protesters showed up outside the residence of Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, saying they, too, wanted to get back to work – despite widespread COVID-19 testing not being available yet.  

The crowd in Minnesota did not practice proper social distancing nor did protesters wear masks, which could potentially curb the spread of the virus. 

WHAT DO ‘LIBERATE’ TARGETS HAVE IN COMMON? 

Donald Trump tweeted support for protests in three states: Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.

Each of them have personal animus for Trump.

Michigan

Trump’s path to election success in 2016 ran through Michigan, which he won by 10,704 votes. Failing to keep Michigan might not be a fatal blow but it would make his path to re-election even more difficult. Its Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer has been discussed as a possible Joe Biden running mate, so disrupting her handling of the coronavirus crisis could help on a national scale too.

Minnesota

Trump came close to flipping the state in 2016, losing by just 44,765 votes in what has been a long-reliable Democratic state. Trump has nursed a belief he can flip it this time, holding rallies there when he has ignored other blue states. Senator Amy Klobuchar is another possible Biden running mate and associating her with problems over the coronavirus crisis could be electorally useful.

Virginia

The Washington D.C. suburbs have turned a once-reliable Republican territory into fairly certain Democratic territory in 2020. In 2018, Democrats’ suburban wave put them in charge of the governor’s mansion and the capitol and Republicans lost Congressional seats. Trump is considered unlikely to be competitive in a state trending from purple to blue but the Democratic takeover of the state across the Potomac has weighed on his party and if he can at least reverse the Congressional wave, his ambition of flipping back the House in 2020 would come closer. 

Walz did ease some of his state’s restriction on Friday pertaining to outdoor activities. 

Minnesota residents would now be allowed to golf, boat, fish, hunt and hike as long as proper social distancing was practiced. 

‘It’s important for us to stay active and enjoy the outdoors while preventing the spread of COVID-19,’ Walz said, according to KEYC News. ‘This measure will allow Minnesotans to take advantage of more opportunities to get outside, while still doing their part to keep their neighbors healthy.’

Medical professionals have advised Americans to stay at home so the country can ‘flatten the curve’ – basically slow the spread of the disease so that medical facilities don’t get overhwhelmed. 

Friday’s tweets come as a surprise because on Thursday when Trump was asked what his message to the demonstrators was, he declined to jump in the fray.   

‘It’s been a tough process for people,’ Trump said. 

‘And I watched, in one particular state, where they were – they want to get back. They want to get back. There were very strict sanctions that were put on people, that was probably the most strict of all,’ the president added, a likely reference to Michigan.

A reporter then asked if the president would urge those protesters to listen to their local authorities. 

‘I think they’re listening. I think they listen to me,’ the president said. ‘They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion. And my opinion is the same as just about all the governors,’ the president said.     

But Democratic governors, including Virginia’s Ralph Northam, have been extending business closures. 

On Wednesday Northam announced that entertainment businesses in the commonwealth, including movie theaters and gyms, would remain closed through May 8. 

Previously that policy was set to expire on April 23.  

In his tweet directed at Virginia, Trump also advised residents to ‘save your great 2nd Amendment.’ 

‘It is under siege!’ Trump said. 

A week ago, Northam signed a new gun control bill into law. 

Northam was asked about the president’s tweet at a Friday afternoon press conference.  

‘I would just simply say that as the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia I, along with this staff, is fighting a biological war,’ the Virginia Democrat said. ‘I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars.’ 

‘I will continue to make sure that I do everything that I can to keep Virginians safe and to save lives,’ Northam added. 

Conservative pundits and Republican governors have been the ones pushing for Americans to get back to work – fearing that the economic destruction caused by people staying at home is worse than the wrath of the virus, which has so far killed a confirmed 38,846 Americans.  

Protesters in Michigan on Wednesday brandished weapons and held up Trump/Pence flags and signs demanding an end to the lockdown 

States with Republican governors were the last to put stay at home orders in place and there are still some hold-outs, including South Dakota where GOP Gov. Kristi Noem said Americans were giving up their ‘liberties for a little bit of security.’   

Infections in South Dakota have tripled in one week. 

‘I believe that South Dakotans can make the best decisions to keep themselves and their loved-ones safe,’ Noem tweeted Thursday. 

Noem said that the state’s biggest outbreak, in a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, would have happened even if she would have put a lockdown order in place.  

‘What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it’s an important part of our nation’s food supply,’ Noem said.  

 The US states with tentative re-opening dates: Alabama, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan have plans to life restrictions on May 1 – a day after Trump outlines guidelines and hard-hit places like New York extended lockdowns until May 15 

A handful of US states already have tentative dates to open up again following coronavirus-related lockdowns as President Donald Trump outlined guidelines for a phased reopening of the devastated US economy. 

Alabama, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan have all expressed plans to reopen in some form by May 1, while Colorado has indicted April 26 and Oklahoma says April 30 for possible dates to kick start parts of their economies again.  

Several others, like Texas and Florida, are expected on Friday to announce updated timetables for lifting restrictions just one day after Trump’s announcement. 

Meanwhile, states like hard-hit New York had already committed to extending lockdown measures into at least mid-May prior to Trump unveiling his three-stage guidelines. 

About 95 percent of the country currently remains on some form of lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. 

There are varying degrees of stay-at-home orders in those states with the most extreme shutting down all non-essential businesses and urging people to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. 

Seven states – Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming – still have no stay-at-home orders in place for its residents. 

Despite no stay-at-home orders in those seven states, some have closed down schools and some non-essential businesses amid the pandemic. They too are looking to start reopening the state economies. 

Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday his state was planning to reopen some businesses on May 1. 

‘We must get Ohio’s economy moving again. We must get people back to work,’ DeWine said during his coronavirus briefing.

The governor said he had put together an economic advisory board, which is made up of small and big business CEOs, as part of the plan to start reopening.  

In re-opening any business, DeWine said it was essential to provide a safe working environment to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases.

‘During the stay at home time, the companies that were allowed to continue have learned a lot and we’ve seen them put in place some very, very stringent measures. In a sense, this has been a trial period where we can see some of the things that work,’ he said.

He said the advisory board was currently working on the plan, saying: ‘We’ve got a lot more work to do between now and May 1 because we want to get this right.’

DeWine did, however, warn that life would not resume as normal for some period of time: ‘I am an optimist and am confident that Ohioans will also live up to the challenge of doing things differently as we open back up beginning on May 1.’  

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine have both flagged the possibility of partly re-opening their respective states by May 1 

Trump on Thursday gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out ‘a phased and deliberate approach’ to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday she hoped to begin re-engaging parts of the economy on May 1. 

Her state has faced one of the fastest growing infection rates but some residents have taken to the streets in protest over the strict lockdown and their inability to return to work.  

‘I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1 but it’s two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly,’ she said in an interview with GMA. ‘It’s hard to tell you precisely where we’ll be one week from now, let alone two weeks from now.’

It comes after four sheriffs issued a joint statement saying that while they would spread public health messages about hand-washing and social distancing, they would not strictly enforce Whitmer’s stay-at-home policy because people needed to get back to normal life. 

Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves said he would extend by a week a stay-at-home order that was set to expire on Monday while easing some restrictions early next week. 

In Utah, Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox told CNN that parts of the state economy may reopen cautiously in the next couple of weeks. 

In Texas and Florida, Republican governors were expected on Friday to outline plans for a gradual reopening of their states with both of the stay-at-home guidelines set to expire on April 30. 

The governors of states in various parts of the country have already agreed to work together to coordinate reopening their states. 

Seven Midwestern governors announced on Thursday they would coordinate after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast.  The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. 

The West Coast pact includes: Washington, Oregon and California and the Northeast includes: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

It comes as Trump gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out ‘a phased and deliberate approach’ to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.  

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. 

Guidelines largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. 

The United States has seen the highest death toll of any country in the pandemic, and public health officials have warned that a premature easing of social distancing orders could exacerbate it.

The political wrangling over the COVID-19 crisis has begun to take on familiar partisan battle lines. Democratic strongholds in dense urban centers such as Seattle and Detroit have been hard hit by the virus, while more Republican-leaning rural communities are struggling with the shuttered economy but have seen fewer cases. 

Increasingly, Republican state lawmakers, including some in Texas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, have begun putting pressure on governors to reopen businesses. Pennsylvania’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill that would loosen restrictions, which Democratic Governor Tom Wolf was expected to veto.     

STATE-WIDE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWNS

Alabama  

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Non-essential businesses closed to the public
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

Alaska 

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work 
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 
• Travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 

Arizona 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

Arkansas 

• No state-wide stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings – doesn’t apply to unenclosed outdoor spaces or places of worship
• Gym and entertainment venues closed, hotels and vacation rentals restricted to authorized guests
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

California

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• Gatherings in a single room or place prohibited
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only

A sign promoting awareness of COVID-19 hangs over a road in Ketchum, Idaho

Colorado 

• Stay-at-home order through April 26
• Public and private gatherings of any number prohibited with limited exceptions
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
• Restaurants and bars limited to takeout only

Connecticut 

• Stay-at-home order through May 20 
• Five person limit on social gatherings, 50-person limit for religious services 
• Non-essential businesses must suspend all in-person operations
• Out-of-state visitors strongly urged to self-quarantine
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Delaware 

• Stay-at-home order through May 15 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state who aren’t just passing through must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Florida 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• No social gatherings public spaces – with religious exemptions
• Nonessential services closed to the public – but gun stores remain open
• Visitors from COVID-19 hot spots such as New York must self-quarantine for 14 days
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Georgia

• Shelter-in-place order until April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Hawaii

• Stay-at-home order at least through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Idaho

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• Non-essential gatherings prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Illinois

• Stay-at-home order through at least April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Golfers practice social distancing at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia

Indiana

• Stay-at-home order through April 20, but likely to be extended 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Iowa

• No stay-at-home order 
• Nonessential businesses ordered to close until April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Kansas

• Stay-at-home order until May 3 
• 10 person limit on gatherings – exempting funerals and religious services with social distancing
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Residents who traveled to California, Florida, New York or Washington state after March 14, or visited Illinois or New Jersey after March 22, must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Kentucky 

• No stay-at-home order 
• Mass gatherings prohibited, smaller gatherings allowed with social distancing 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Louisiana 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

A customer wears a face mask while picking up food at the Municipal Fish Market in DC

Maine

• ‘Stay healthy at home’ executive order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Maryland 

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Massachusetts

• Non-essential businesses closed through May 4 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
• Visitors from out of state advised to self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Michigan 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• Public gatherings prohibited – with religious exemptions  
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Minnesota 

• Stay-at-home order through May 3
• Entertainment and performance venues closed 
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only 

Mississippi 

• Stay at home order through April 20
• Schools closed through the end of the semester
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Missouri

• ‘Stay Home Missouri’ order through April 24
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses must enforce social distancing  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Montana

• Stay-at-home order through April 24
• Nonessential social and recreational gatherings prohibited  
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Nebraska

• No stay-at-home order
• Hair salons, tattoo parlors and strip clubs closed through May 31 
• 10 person limit on gatherings  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Nevada

• Stay-at-home order through April 30.
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Recreational, entertainment and personal-care businesses closed, including casinos  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Hampshire

• Stay-at-home order through May 4 
• Nine person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Jersey

• Indefinite stay-at-home order
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential retail businesses must close bricks-and-mortar premises. Recreational and entertainment businesses also closed  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Mexico

• Stay-at-home order through April 30  
• Five person limit on gatherings in a single room
• Nonessential businesses must suspend all in-person operations 
• Arriving air travelers must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New York 

• Stay-at-home order through May 15
• Nonessential gatherings prohibited   
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
• Masks must be worn in situations where social distancing is not possible 

North Carolina

• Stay-at-home order through April 29
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

North Dakota

• No stay-at-home order
• Schools, restaurants, fitness centers, movie theaters and salons closed
• No state-wide directive on gatherings  
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Ohio

• Stay-at-home order through May 1
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Oklahoma

• ‘Safer at Home’ order until April 30 for people over the age of 65 and other vulnerable residents
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses must suspend services 
• Visitors arriving from New York, California, Louisiana and Washington must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Oregon

•  Indefinite stay-at-home order
• 25 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Pennsylvania 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• Gatherings prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Rhode Island

• Stay-at-home order through May 8 
• Five person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

A couple in protective masks walk through Central Park in New York City

South Carolina

• ‘State of Emergency’ executive order extended through at least April 27 
• Three person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

South Dakota

• No stay-at-home order
• Unnecessary gatherings of 10 or more prohibited

Tennessee 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Texas

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Air travelers flying to Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana or Washington – or Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami – must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Utah

• No stay-at-home order
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Businesses must minimize face-to-face contact with high-risk employees  
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Vermont

• Stay-at-home order through May 15
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Virginia

• Stay-at-home order through June 10
• Recreation and entertainment businesses closed through May 8 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Washington

• Stay-at-home order through May 4
• All gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational purposes are prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

West Virginia

• Indefinite stay-at-home order
• Five-person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from coronavirus hotspots must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Wisconsin

• ‘Safer at Home’ order prohibits all nonessential travel until May 26 
• All public and private gatherings are prohibited with limited exceptions. 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Self-quarantine recommended for out-of-state visitors 
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only 

Wyoming 

• No stay-at-home order – but social distancing restrictions through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings in a confined space
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 
• Anyone entering the state except for essential work must quarantine for 14 days

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