Washington DC extends lockdown by three more weeks to May 16

A growing list of cities and states are extending social distancing restrictions this week as health experts warn lifting them too early could erase previous efforts to flatten the coronavirus curve.  

In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser extended the city’s stay-at-home order, school closures and business restrictions from April 24 to May 16 on Wednesday, warning that the new date could change again.   

‘I don’t know if that means we will be open on May 16, but it will be a point for us to check in. And if we need to extend it beyond that, we certainly will,’ Bowser said at a news conference.  

The governors of three states – Virginia, Kansas and Idaho – also pushed back the dates on social distancing policies on Wednesday, as did officials in cities across Missouri, Texas and Louisiana. 

On Thursday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo extended his stay-at-home order until May 15 and Wisconsin Gov Tony Evers extended his through May 26.  

The extension trend comes as President Donald Trump pushes to begin reopening the country by May 1, and as anti-lockdown protests intensify in Michigan and other heartland states.  

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back the city’s stay-at-home order, school closures and business restrictions through May 16, warning that the new date could change again

Virginia extends restrictions through May 8, sparking protests

Virginia Gov Ralph Northam announced an extension on his executive order restricting a range of recreational and entertainment businesses in the state on Wednesday. 

The order was initially set to expire in seven days on April 23, but will now remain in place until at least May 8. 

Northam said he based his decision on new projections from the University of Virginia which show that social distancing has had a significant impact on slowing the spread of COVID-19, and that lifting those restrictions too soon could cause another influx in cases. 

Virginia Gov Ralph Northam announced an extension on his executive order restricting a range of recreational and entertainment businesses in the state on Wednesday

‘I want everyone to know the sacrifices that you have made are helping slow the spread, and giving us more time to plan and prepare,’ the governor said.  

Northam said he has no plans to extend Virginia’s stay-at-home order, which is set to expire on June 10, despite UVA projections showing cases in the stay may not peak until August. 

‘I don’t have any intentions as of today to extend that,’ he said, noting that the situation is fluid as models change daily with new data. 

He said the order could be lifted early if the situation improves, but stressed that it is too early to tell.  

‘I know that’s frustrating. I love data, and I want to be exact,’ Northam said. ‘But I’d ask all of your and our viewers to be patient.’ 

Virginia has recorded at least 6,889 cases and 208 deaths to date.  

Residents descended on Virginia’s Capitol Square on Thursday for an anti-lockdown protest organized by ReOpen Virginia, End The Lockdown VA and Virginians Against Excessive Quarantine. 

Residents descended on Virginia’s Capitol Square on Thursday for an anti-lockdown protest

Kansas pushes back date to May 3 as officials hope for 14 straight days of declining case numbers 

In Kansas, Gov Laura Kelly extended the state stay-at-home order, which was initially set to expire on Sunday, through May 3. 

‘Unfortunately cases continue to increase, and new counties continue to have confirmed cases,’ Kelly said. 

‘Internal and external modeling predict a peak somewhere between the 19th and the 29th of April.’

As of Wednesday, Kansas had recorded 1,603 coronavirus cases – an increase of 109 from yesterday.  

The state’s death toll stands at 80, up four from Wednesday. 

Kelly said that Kansas needs to have a reduction in number of cases for 14 days before it can begin to relax restrictions.

Kansas Gov Laura Kelly (left) and Idaho Gov Brad Little (right) extended stay-at-home orders on Wednesday, saying they wanted to flatten the curve more before lifting restrictions

Idaho extends stay-at-home order through the end of the month but slightly eases restrictions on businesses 

In Idaho, Gov Brad Little extended stay-at-home orders through April 30.

He slightly eased restrictions on businesses, allowing for those which are able to begin curbside and delivery services, but others including bars, gyms, night clubs, hair salons, and convention centers will remain closed.

‘I am incredibly sympathetic [to local businesses],’ Little told a news conference Wednesday. 

‘I can’t open up those some of those businesses that have opportunity for community spread until we get further down the road.’

The governor is also requiring a two-week self-quarantine for non-residents who come into the state. 

‘I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do for the people of Idaho,’ he said. 

Idaho has recorded 1,508 cases and 41 deaths as of Wednesday. 

Customers observe social distancing as they wait for their orders to be brought outside Idaho Lumber & Hardware in Hailey, Idaho, on Monday 

Dozens of Idaho residents flouted social distancing restrictions by attending an Easter church service organized by libertarian activist Ammon Bundy on Sunday

New York Gov Cuomo extends lockdown by two weeks to May 15 

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo on Thursday extended New York’s coronavirus lockdown by two weeks until May 15.

Cuomo said that while the rate of hospitalizations in New York is decreasing, it was still unclear how many people have actually been infected with COVID-19.

He said the unknown tally of infections is what is stopping him from reopening the economy because if people who don’t know they are infected return to work, they risk infecting countless others and wiping out all the progress that has been made.

Only after May 15 will he begin to consider allowing some people back to work. Even then, it will be a phased return and businesses have to prove how essential they are and then how they can maintain social distancing among employees.

Then, the workforce will be able to return gradually in percentages in the reverse of how Cuomo shut the state down. In mid-March, businesses first had to reduce their workforces in the office to 75 percent and then to 50 percent before 100 percent had to go home.

The New York lockdown will be extended in coordination with other states in the region, Cuomo said, adding that non-essential workers must remain home and social distancing rules remain in place. 

Wisconsin Gov Evers adds an entire month to lockdown timeline 

Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order was initially slated to expire next week on April 24 – until Gov Evers announced on Thursday that lockdowns will remain in place until May 24.  

Schools will also be closed the remainder of the academic year under the updated order, Evers said.

News of the extension came amid growing criticism from conservatives who have been pushing Evers to loosen restrictions sooner so the economy can bounce back raster.  

Opponents of the new order have planned a rally at the state capital on April 24, the date the original order was set to end.  

City leaders in New Orleans, Austin, Kansas City and St Louis strengthen state guidelines

In several cities, officials have opted to extend social distancing restrictions beyond those put in place by the state. 

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell on Wednesday announced that she would be extending the stay-at-home order for all Orleans Parish residents from April 30 to May 16.

The extension came a day after Cantrell suggested that all major events in the city be canceled through the end of the year due to fears that visitors could amplify the spread of COVID-19. 

In Kansas City (pictured) Mayor Quinton Lucas extended his stay-at-home order until May 15

New Orleans is currently one of the nation’s top hotspots, with more than 5,700 cases and 287 deaths reported to date. 

Louisiana currently ranks ninth in the US for COVID-19 cases, with 22,532 infections and 1,156 deaths. 

The state-wide stay-at-home order is currently set to expire on April 30. On Wednesday, Gov John Bel Edwards said he has not yet decided whether the order will be extended.  

Austin became the first major city in Texas to extend social distancing restrictions through next month on Monday, one day before the area’s initial stay-at-home order was set to expire. 

Officials in Austin and Travis County pushed back the target date to May 8, citing concerns about still-climbing case counts.  

‘The next three weeks are going to be critical for us,’ Austin Public Health Interim Health Authority Dr Mark Escott said.

‘What we’re trying to do is buy time. Buy time for more PPE, buy time for more testing capabilities … and to ultimately buy time for two of the most critical components of this, effective treatment and vaccinations.’

The state-wide stay-at-home order issued by Gov Greg Abbott is currently set to expire on April 30. 

Counties in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston have stuck with the same date. 

A masked customer enters Burnell’s Lower Ninth Ward Market in New Orleans on Tuesday

In Missouri, the mayors of Kansas City and St Louis both announced extensions on stay-at-home orders on Wednesday. 

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas pushed the expiration date back to May 15, citing advice from area health directors who have called for increased testing and tracing before lockdowns can be lifted.

St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said the April 24 expiration date would be extended, but did not offer a new one.  

A man wears a protective mask as he waits to cross a street Monday in St Louis, where parts of the city have been hit much harder than others by the coronavirus outbreak

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is preparing to announce new guidelines  allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.

The new guidelines, expected to be announced on Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places.

The ultimate decisions will remain with governors. 

‘We’ll be opening some states much sooner than others,’ Trump said on Wednesday.

But in a round of calls with business leaders, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations. 

While the business leader said they too wanted to get the economy going, they had worries about how to safely do so.  

The new guidelines come as the federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available – a milestone unlikely to be reached until next year. 

Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the US is ‘past the peak’ of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to ‘reopen’ the country.

Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation ‘improving’ but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum. 

She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors.

Meanwhile, protesters defied social distancing and gathered outside Michigan’s State Capitol on Wednesday to demand Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer end her strict stay-at-home orders because it restricts their freedom.

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

Thousands of furious demonstrators have gathered at Michigan’s state Capitol, creating a massive traffic jam filled with honking cars and flag-waving protesters in defiance of the state’s stringent statewide stay-at-home orders on Wednesday. Protesters, some showing off guns, pictured on the front steps of Lansing’s Capitol building urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lift her lockdown mandate

Three lanes of traffic were filled with lines of cars blaring their horns outside of the state building on Capitol Avenue Wednesday afternoon, with locals declaring they’re ready to get back to work and get back to their regular lives

People in their vehicles pictured protesting against excessive quarantine orders from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer around the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday

Locals wrapped in winter coats and hats carried signs that said ‘Stop the Fear’, ‘End the Lockdown’ and ‘Heil Whitmer’, comparing the governor to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler

Thousands of drivers caused havoc around the building in Lansing and backed traffic up for a mile.

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.

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’.

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

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

• No stay-at-home order
• 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