As governors contemplate reopening, here’s what restrictions look like in each state

NPR is tracking developments in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia so you can see what's changed and how states compare.

• By Rachel Treisman/NPR

 

(Washington) —

COVID-19 has affected the entire country, but each state has its own measures in place to try to slow the spread and repair the damage.

While the White House announced federal guidelines for a phased reopening of the country on April 16, President Trump has acknowledged that “each state is very different.” Governors have responded to the guidelines largely along party lines, and many have since unveiled their own frameworks for reopening their states’ economies safely and gradually. Some have even announced regional partnerships to coordinate the easing of restrictions.

Trump has said that some states may choose to begin reopening even before May 1. Many states have already extended stay-at-home orders, prolonged school closures, and delayed elections until after that date. Others are set to reevaluate and perhaps lift certain restrictions by the end of April. Several have heard calls from protesters to do so.

Each day brings changes. NPR is tracking developments in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia so you can see what’s changed and how states compare. To stay on top of the latest updates, scroll down or click on the state’s name from the list below.

Here’s what each one has done so far.

Alabama

• Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide stay-at-home order effective April 4 through April 30. It orders people to stay in their place of residence except for performing specific essential activities. Nonessential businesses are closed, and those still operating on-site are required to implement social distancing measures.
• All non-work related gatherings that are larger than 10 people, or gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between people, are prohibited.
• Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must quarantine in their place of residence for 14 days.
• Alabama’s beaches are closed, while restaurants and bars are open for takeout or delivery only.
• Elective dental and medical procedures are delayed.
• All Alabama public schools are closed through the end of the academic year. Ivey has ordered that all public K-12 schools complete the year “using alternate methods of instruction.”
• Ivey says local authorities can allow law enforcement officers to issue a summons instead of making an arrest for misdemeanors, with some exceptions, to reduce movement in and out of jails. Local officials are allowed to reduce the number of local inmates being held in county jails in a way that does not jeopardize public safety.
• On April 3, Ivey granted temporary relief from residential evictions and foreclosures for the duration of the public health emergency. The proclamation saves people from being thrown out of their homes but doesn’t relieve them of the need to pay their rent and mortgage.
• Ivey announced the launch of altogetheralabama.org, a centralized guide to the state’s coronavirus relief efforts.
• Ivey issued a State of Emergency for severe weather on April 12, which temporarily suspended any provision of the COVID-19 orders “to the extent that its application or enforcement would endanger any person affected” by the weather conditions.
• A supplemental emergency proclamation issued April 13 allows the Board of Pardons and Paroles to resume parole hearings in a “manner that reduces person-to-person interaction.”

Alaska

• Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered Alaskans to shelter at home and close all nonessential businesses, effective March 28. People and businesses operating on-site must practice social distancing. Those that violate the order may be criminally prosecuted for reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor.
• On April 21, Dunleavy announced the first of five phases of the state’s economic reopening. Beginning April 24, certain businesses and services can reopen if they follow strict health and safety guidelines. Those include limited dine-in services at restaurants, limited in-store shopping in retail stores, and limited services at personal care and other nonessential businesses.
• The mandate limiting interstate and international travel has been extended through May 19.
• Travel within the state has been banned except in cases where it is “to support critical infrastructure or is for critical personal needs.” This mandate, as well as the mandate on social distancing, have been extended indefinitely.
• The governor ordered that restaurants and bars be open for pickup or delivery only, and practice social distancing on the premises.
• Entertainment facilities, libraries, and museums are closed to the public indefinitely.
• Anyone arriving in Alaska has been ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days and fill out a “mandatory Travel Declaration Form.”
• State authorities prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people and required that businesses and gatherings shut down if individuals were within six feet of each other.
• Public and private schools are closed through the end of the academic year. Distance learning will continue, and the State of Alaska Incident Command will decide in April whether it is safe for small groups of students to meet with their teachers for final conferences in person.
• The state will use non-congregate shelter options like hotels and dormitories to establish a temporary quarantine and isolation program for first responders, health care workers and homeless individuals or families with a confirmed positive case.
• Dunleavy ordered the suspension of certain state regulations to allow for curbside pickup of alcohol and delivery of sealed beer and wine from restaurants with food orders.
• Dunleavy issued an order allowing certain health care facilities to resume services “that require minimal protective equipment and safety protocols for pre-screening” beginning April 20, and allowing them to resume non-urgent or elective procedures “with defined safety protocols” starting May 4.

Arizona

• Gov. Doug Ducey enacted a stay-at-home order on March 31. The order directs Arizonans to limit their time away from their place of residence, with exceptions for performing and utilizing essential activities and services. Individuals must maintain six feet of distance from others when out in public. The order remains in effect through April 30.
• The stay-at-home order mandates that only businesses deemed essential can operate on-site, and those that remain open must implement physical distancing measures.
• Ducey halted all elective surgeries in the state.
• The governor signed an executive order allowing pharmacists “to utilize their professional judgement” in filling medication refills for up to 90 days. For filling COVID-19 prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, the prescription “must be presented with a diagnosis code for COVID-19 from the prescriber.”
• The governor announced $5 million in funding for people having trouble paying rent because of the outbreak.
• The state received $9.8 million in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides emergency food and nutrition assistance to low-income individuals.
• Public schools are now closed through the end of the academic year.
• An executive order signed on March 24 delays the enforcement of eviction action orders for renters for 120 days.
• Following new guidance on nonessential services, barbershops, tanning salons, tattoo parlors, spas, massage therapist services, and cosmetology, hair and nail salons closed beginning April 4. Amenities at public parks that do not allow for proper hygiene or social distancing, like basketball courts and playgrounds, are also closed, though the parks themselves remain open.
• An April 6 executive order halts evictions through May 31 for small businesses and nonprofits that are unable to pay rent because of financial hardship caused by the coronavirus.
• Anyone traveling to Arizona through any airport in the state “from an area with substantial community spread,” including but not limited to the New York Tri-State area, must self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Ducey signed an executive order providing civil liability protections to health care workers.
• The state is partnering with the University of Arizona to offer 250,000 antibody tests for health care workers and first responders.
• The new deadline for filing and paying state income tax is July 15.
• The state will provide Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer school meal replacement benefits to the households of the nearly 600,000 students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

Arkansas

• Gov. Asa Hutchinson has resisted calls to issue a statewide stay-home order as other states have done. He told NPR on April 6 that he did not plan to issue such an order, but said “if we need to do more, we will.”
• The Arkansas secretary of health is prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people “in any confined indoor or outdoor space.”
• Hutchinson has issued an executive order to “fully leverage telehealth” in the state, and loosened regulations to help patients access therapists over the phone.
• Hutchinson extended the mandatory closure of all public schools through the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Teachers will continue to provide “alternative methods of instruction” for students, and schools may continue child nutrition services through meal pickup and delivery.
• The Arkansas Department of Health recommends a self-quarantine for people arriving in the state from New York and all international locations.
• Occupancy of commercial lodgings and short-term rentals like hotels, motels and vacation rentals is limited to “authorized guests” as directed by the Secretary of Health. Approved guests include health care professionals, first responders, law enforcement, journalists, airline crew members, hospital patients and their families, and people in need of shelter due to domestic violence and homelessness.
• Bars, clubs and restaurants offer takeout and delivery only, and nonessential businesses including gyms, indoor entertainment venues, and spas are closed.
• On April 9, state lawmakers rejected a proposal that would have allowed voters to cast absentee ballots without an excuse in the November general election. Hutchinson had previously waived that requirement only for the state’s primary runoff in March.
• Health facilities must postpone all elective, routine and non-urgent visits and procedures.
• Hutchinson signed an executive order making health care workers immune from liability in coronavirus cases. He also ordered health care workers and first responders eligible for workers’ compensation if they are exposed to coronavirus on the job.
• The state will use Medicaid funds to increase the weekly income of “long-term services and supports direct care workers” such as nurses, home health aides, and hospice service staff. The payments will be made to Medicaid-enrolled agency providers each week through May.
• Hutchinson announced that $10 million in community development grants will be distributed to 27 hospitals in the state.
• Hutchinson has asked the Department of Corrections to identify nonviolent offenders who are not sex offenders and are due for release within six months, to be evaluated and considered for early release.
• The newly-created Governor’s COVID-19 Testing Working Group will make recommendations to improve testing “capacity and performance” across the state.

California

• Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an order mandating that individuals must stay home, except for activity “needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, critical government services, schools, childcare, and construction.” Essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open. The order took effect March 19 and will last “until further notice.”
• Newsom signed an executive order March 30 ordering a 90-day extension for small businesses for tax returns and tax payments. The order also extends the statute of limitations to file a claim for a tax refund by 60 days.
• Nonessential medical care and elective procedures must be rescheduled.
• With some exceptions, people are not allowed to visit family members in hospitals or nursing homes.
• Newsom says that financial institutions will offer a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments to people economically impacted by the outbreak. The governor also banned all evictions through May 31.
• Health officials issued guidelines saying it is “preferable” for individuals to wear face masks or cloth face coverings when “going into an environment where physical distancing is all but impossible,” including grocery stores.
• Newsom signed an executive order expanding access to child care for essential workers.
• California is working to expand its hospital capacity to accommodate COVID-19 patients. Newsom said on April 6 that the state is setting up federal medical stations and alternate care facilities to care for less sick patients. It has also leased and reopened two recently shuttered hospitals and received a naval medical ship from the federal government to use as surge facilities.
• Newsom said on April 1 that families and educations should operate “with the expectation now that schools will not reopen, but classes are in” for the rest of the academic year.
• State emergency legislation released $100 million to support child care services for essential workers and vulnerable populations.
• The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the Western States Pact on April 13. The framework offers principles and goals for a shared approach to reopening states’ economies.
• California is investing $42 million over three months into programs aimed at supporting foster youth, keeping families together and reducing child abuse.
• An April 14 executive order calls for all discharge and reentry hearings at the Division of Juvenile Justice to be held via video conference. Newsom previously ordered a temporary halt on the intake of youth offenders into DJJ.
• Newsom announced $75 million in statewide Disaster Relief Assistance funding to support undocumented Californians impacted by COVID-19. Approximately 150,000 adults will receive a one-time cash benefit, with households capped at $1000.
• An April 16 executive order gives two weeks of paid sick leave to certain food sector workers, including delivery drivers and agriculture, grocery store and fast food chain workers. The order also increases sanitary measures by permitting workers at food facilities to wash their hands every 30 minutes or as needed.
• Newsom signed another April 16 order adjusting admissions requirements for the California State University system, providing flexibility on background checks for critical infrastructure sectors, and permitting licensed food trucks to operate in roadside rest areas for 60 days.
• An April 17 order allows certain foster youth programs to perform necessary functions using processes other than face-to-face interactions, supporting continuity of care.
• California has secured nearly 11,000 hotel and motel rooms across 42 counties for vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness. On April 18, Newsom announced that the Motel 6 chain would make all of its corporate-owned locations available to counties through an agreement which could provide up to 5,025 additional rooms.
• The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Department of Education will distribute a total of $30 million to cover the cost of hot spots, computing devices and internet service in eligible households and communities.
• Newsom launched California Volunteers’ #CaliforniansForAll service initiative, which connects nonprofit organizations with people looking to volunteer in their community.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Colorado

• Gov. Jared Polis issued a stay-at-home order effective March 26, which has been extended through April 26. The order directs Coloradans to stay home, except for performing certain essential activities and jobs.
• Polis said that beginning April 27, the state will move into the “Safer at Home” phase, where people except for seniors and vulnerable populations will be encouraged rather than required to stay home.
• Real estate services, haircuts and dental visits will be allowed as of April 27, and commercial offices can reopen May 4, Polis said at a press conference. Restaurants are not likely to reopen until “mid-May.”
• The governor announced on April 20 that K-12 school districts and post secondary institutions will continue to suspend in-person learning for the rest of the academic year.
• Per the stay-at-home order, businesses not defined as “critical businesses” must close and social gatherings are prohibited. According to the state’s Department of Public Health & Environment, “critical businesses” include restaurants (for takeout and delivery only), marijuana dispensaries, pharmacies, liquor stores and gun shops.
• People are required to stay at least 6 feet from others in public.
• On March 29, the federal government approved Polis’ request to declare a Major Disaster, making the state eligible for federal disaster funding and FEMA assistance.
• Polis issued a one-month extension for filing and remitting state and state-administered local sales tax, moving the deadline to May 20. Deadlines for state severance taxes have been moved to May 15.
• An April 7 executive order extends limits on evictions, foreclosures, and public utility disconnections through April 30. It also expedites unemployment insurance claims processing.
• Polis also extended executive orders on the temporary suspension of elective medical procedures, the closure of ski areas, and the issuance of marriage licenses with government offices closed.
• Polis encouraged faith leaders to offer online or drive-in services for religious holidays, and issued guidelines for places of worship.
• An April 11 executive order suspends certain regulatory statutes related to juvenile justice, regional centers and behavioral health for 30 days.
• Coloradans are directed to wear face masks in public, in line with CDC guidance.
• Polis signed an executive order supporting the provision of child care for essential workers and temporarily waiving certain statutes to enable schools to focus on “delivery of instruction and associated student services.”
• On April 14, Polis extended an earlier order, which limits in-person contact for the 2020 elections, for an additional 30 days.
• The state has secured a total of five sites available to serve as alternative care facilities.
• Polis signed an executive order that suspends certain regulatory requirements to make more professionals eligible for the health care workforce.
• On April 15, Polis announced the key indicators that will guide any decision to begin lifting Colorado’s social distancing policies.
• State income tax payment deadlines have been moved to July 15, in alignment with the federal extension.
• Polis issued an executive order requiring workers in critical businesses and government functions to wear non-medical masks “while at work and while serving the public.”
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Connecticut

• Gov. Ned Lamont signed an executive order directing Connecticut residents to “Stay Safe, Stay at Home” beginning March 23. The order mandates the closure of all nonessential business and not-for-profit entities, prohibits public community gatherings “of any size for any reason,” directs people to maintain six feet of distance from others whenever possible, and instructs essential businesses to implement social distancing measures. On April 10, Lamont extended all closures, distancing and safety measures through May 20.
• An April 7 executive order implements an additional set of protective measures, called “Safe Workplace Rules,” for essential businesses.
• Lamont issued an executive order allowing restaurants, wineries, breweries and bars to deliver directly to homes. State statutes have been modified to suspend the delivery signature requirement.
• Lamont says the state’s small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the virus may apply for “one-year, no-interest loans of up to $75,000.”
• Public schools remain closed through at least May 20.
• The State of Connecticut Judicial Branch announced on April 3 that beginning April 14, all courthouses will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays “until further notice.”
• Lamont issued an executive order on April 7 permitting recent graduates of medical school and “other medical profession graduates” who are not yet licensed to begin practicing. It also permits practice before licensure for mental health counselor associates and marital and family therapy associates.
• An April 10 executive order issues protections for residential renters impacted by the pandemic for the duration of the public health emergency.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services is extending the filing and payment deadlines for certain tax returns until July 15.
• State Supreme and Appellate courts will hear arguments remotely in April and May.
• Anyone entering the state “by any mode of transportation for any reason” is urged to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• The Connecticut Insurance Department said all fully-insured health plan members can now receive COVID-19 testing and treatment with no out-of-pocket costs.
• Lamont directed residents to wear masks or face coverings when in public, and also urged retail stores to require employees and visitors to do so.
• The state’s 2020 presidential primary election has been rescheduled a second time, to August 11.
• An executive order requires the use of cloth face coverings in public “wherever close contact is unavoidable,” including while using public transit and ride-sharing services, beginning 8:00 p.m. on April 20.
• Lamont is expanding Medicaid payments to nursing homes across the state by 15 percent, constituting $65 million to be used for coronavirus-related costs. The state Department of Public Health will make on-site visits to all 215 facilities to conduct infection control surveys.
• The governors of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut announced that marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers in their states can operate for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitation protocols are upheld.
• Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to self-report their daily symptoms through the “How We Feel” app to anonymously provide critical public health information to the medical community.
• An initiative between Hartford HealthCare and Quest Diagnostics, announced April 21, will increase the state’s testing capacity from 500 to 2,500 COVID-19 tests per day.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Delaware

• Gov. John Carney ordered people in his state to stay at home when possible, from March 24 through May 15 or “until the public health threat is eliminated.” Carney also ordered nonessential businesses in Delaware to close.
• A modified emergency order limits public gatherings to no more than 10 people through May 15, and requires essential businesses to enforce specific social distancing measures.
• Schools have been ordered to remain closed through at least May 15. Carney said on April 16 that he expects closures to extend through the end of the school year.
• As of April 6, the only child care facilities remaining open are those designated as “Emergency Childcare Sites,” which serve just the children of essential personnel.
• The governor issued an order on March 29 requiring anyone who enters the state and “is not merely passing through” to self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of the individual’s stay in the state, whichever period is shorter. Exceptions will be made for public safety, public health or health care personnel.
• Upstate trout fishing season opened early, on March 31, to “help minimize crowds and accommodate outdoor recreation.”
• A modification to the state emergency declaration rescheduled Delaware’s presidential primary to June 2, and suspended residential foreclosures and evictions.
• Another modification to the emergency declaration, effective April 7 at 8:00 p.m., banned all short-term rental units and closed commercial lodging with some exceptions through May 15. It also banned door-to-door solicitation and closed pawn shops, video game stores, and other electronics retailers.
• State public health officials are advising Delawareans to wear cloth face coverings in public settings, in line with CDC guidance.
• The state is urging citizens with health care and child care experience to join its emergency workforce. Carney had previously asked all individuals, businesses and nonprofits to donate critical supplies to the state’s coronavirus response effort, and announced a formal request-for-assistance to private sector vendors.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• An April 15 modification to the emergency declaration requires nursing homes and long-term care facilities to enact stricter measures to protect workers and residents from COVID-19.

District of Columbia

• Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a district-wide stay-at-home order effective April 1, with exceptions for performing essential activities like grocery shopping and obtaining medical care. The order also closes all nonessential businesses and prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people. Anyone who willfully violates the order may be found guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or imprisonment.
• On April 15, Bowser renewed D.C.’s public health emergency for an additional month. The move extends the stay-at-home order, nonessential business closures and gathering restrictions until May 15.
• Officials in the District Of Columbia announced there will be just 20 in-person voting sites for the June 2 presidential primary and urged voters to cast their ballots by mail.
• D.C. Public Schools are distributing devices and hot spots for K-12 students whose families do not have them at home, to facilitate access to online resources and support remote learning.
• Restaurants remain open for takeout and delivery only.
• The D.C. Council passed a relief bill on April 7. The bill freezes rent across the district, requires mortgage companies to offer payment deferrals of up to 90 days, expands protections against utility shutoffs to include cable and telecommunications service, and prohibits debt-collection lawsuits and property seizures. It also expands the definition of unemployment to include self-employment, gig workers, and “others who otherwise would not qualify,” expanding access to unemployment insurance.
• Bowser issued an order on April 8 requiring farmers’ markets to obtain specific waivers in order to operate. It also applies safety and social distancing protocols to other retail food sellers, and removes tennis and golf from the list of allowable recreational activities.
• Shoppers must wear masks inside D.C grocery stores.
• Bowser granted extra days of good time credits to 36 residents being held in the DC Jail on April 10, making approximately half of them eligible for immediate release.
• Roads in Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park and Fort Dupont Park will be closed to vehicle traffic through April 30 to better accommodate pedestrians performing “essential exercise.”
• Bowser announced the launch of 10 additional weekday grocery distribution sites at D.C. schools, as well as a COVID-19 Needs Hotline and Web Portal that self-quarantining residents can use to request essential deliveries.
• Bowser and the DC Department of Health issued an emergency rule temporarily allowing registered dispensaries to provide medical marijuana to qualifying patients through delivery, curbside pickup, and at-the-door pickup options.
• Bowser’s April 15 order makes face masks mandatory for hotel staff and guests, individuals using ride shares and taxis, and workers and customers of food sellers. People taking public transit are “strongly encouraged” to wear masks.
• Bowser announced on April 17 that distance learning will continue for the rest of the school year.
• The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is being converted into an alternate care facility. It is expected to have 500 available beds by the first week of May.
• The District Department of Transportation is temporarily extending sidewalks near grocery stores and other essential retailers to facilitate proper social distancing. Locations will be based off DDOT’s evaluation and suggestions from the public.

Florida

• Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order effective April 3, directing state residents to remain indoors and limit movement to obtaining “essential services” or conducting “essential activities.” The order is set to last until April 30.
• While houses of worship are exempt from the stay-at-home order, DeSantis has encouraged religious leaders to hold services online or outside to minimize person-to-person contact.
• Some municipalities across the state have enacted even more stringent measures, with curfews and fines to discourage people from leaving their homes.
• Beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties were ordered closed, but beaches in other parts of the state remain open. DeSantis directed those accessing public beaches to limit their gatherings to no more than 10 people.
• DeSantis moved to allow recently retired law enforcement and health care workers to immediately reenter the workforce.
• DeSantis issued an executive order directing all Florida residents traveling from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Health care practitioners were ordered to stop performing elective and nonessential procedures beginning March 20.
• An April 2 executive order blocks the evictions of residents unable to pay rent because of the coronavirus, and suspends all mortgage foreclosures, for 45 days.
• DeSantis announced on April 11 that more than 32,000 laptop computers are being distributed to 34 small, mostly rural school districts to facilitate distance learning.
• An executive order prohibiting short-term vacation rentals of homes and condominiums has been extended through April 30.
• DeSantis issued an order temporarily suspending the “actively seeking work” reporting requirement for Floridians applying for unemployment assistance.
• DeSantis announced on April 18 that all K-12 schools will continue with distance learning for the rest of the academic year.
• DeSantis said on April 17 that some municipalities can reopen parks and beaches with social distancing guidelines in place.

Georgia

• Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statewide shelter-in-place order on April 3, which has been extended through April 30.
• Kemp announced on April 20 that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, aestheticians, and massage therapists can reopen for business on April 24. They must adhere to “minimum basic operations” and implement social distancing and regular sanitation.
• The Georgia Board of Cosmetology and Barbers has issued guidelines for the reopening of salons and spas.
• Theaters, private social clubs and restaurant dine-in services may reopen on April 27. Kemp announced that drive-in movies can operate if they comply with the directives of the shelter-in-place order.
• Georgia’s public health state of emergency has been extended through May 13. Kemp told elderly and “medically fragile” residents to plan to shelter in place until then.
• Kemp extended the closure of all public K-12 schools through the end of the school year.
• Kemp said on March 31 that the Georgia National Guard will be deployed to assisted living facilities and nursing homes to assist with containment measures.
• Beaches and state parks remain open, though there are restrictions on the use of chairs, tents and umbrellas on beaches.
• Georgia is working to increase hospital capacity for an anticipated COVID-19 patient surge. It purchased four temporary medical units, for a total of 88 beds, to be deployed across the state in mid-April. It is also reopening two health care facilities to increase the number of general and ICU beds available for coronavirus patients over the course of April and May.
• An April 8 executive order suspends short-term vacation rentals across the state through April 30.
• Georgia’s primary elections have been delayed to June 9.
• The Georgia World Congress Center has been converted into a 200-hospital bed alternate care facility.
• Kemp signed an order suspending enforcement of the state’s anti-mask statute so that Georgians can comply with public health guidance.

Hawaii

• Gov. David Ige issued a statewide stay-at-home order effective March 25 through April 30. Individuals may leave their place of residence only to perform essential activities, engage in essential businesses and operations, and conduct work that cannot be completed remotely.
• Essential businesses are ordered to implement specific social distancing measures. Other “places of public gathering” are closed, and public gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.
• Penalties for intentionally breaking the stay-at-home order include a fine of up to $5,000, a year in prison, or both.
• Ige has ordered a 14-day self-quarantine for everyone arriving in Hawaii as well as inter-island travelers in April.
• The Democratic party-run presidential primary is switching to all mail-in voting.
• The Hawaii State Judiciary has postponed most traffic, criminal and civil cases until after April 30.
• School facilities are closed through April 30, though grab-and-go meal sites remain open.
• Health officials are directing people to wear cloth face coverings in public.
• The state’s Department of Health is encouraging health care professionals not currently working in clinical roles, including students and retirees, to volunteer for the Hawaii Medical Reserve Corps.
• Students enrolled at any of the ten University of Hawai’i campuses can apply for the Urgent Student Relief Fund. The fund was created by donors to support students experiencing “urgent financial distress” because of the outbreak.
• An April 17 emergency proclamation enhances social distancing requirements for individuals and essential businesses, like mandating the use of masks and limiting store occupancy. It also places a moratorium on residential evictions. The proclamation is in effect through April 30, and violations may result in fines or prison time.
• The emergency proclamation closes all state beaches and limits recreational outings to no more than two people, unless the group is from the same household.
• Ige signed an executive order permitting county liquor commissions to allow the sale of unopened beer and wine with food orders.
• Summer school at the ten University of Hawai’i campuses will be held online, though in-person classes may be added in the later part of the summer.

Idaho

• Gov. Brad Little issued a statewide stay-home order on March 25, effective for 21 days. He has since extended the order through April 30.
• The governor issued proclamations allowing emergency refills of up to 90 days for existing medications while also suspending Medicaid copay requirements during this emergency.
• The state moved nearly $40 million to a disaster relief fund available immediately to first responders, health care workers and groups working to provide ventilators, hospital beds, rapid test kits and other critical supplies.
• Idaho’s primary election, set for May 19, will be conducted by mail.
• Little suspended regulations in order to increase access to telehealth services and make it easier for medical professionals fighting the coronavirus to obtain necessary licenses.
• The State Board of Education voted on April 6 to extend the “soft closure” of public school buildings through the end of the academic year, but is also giving local districts and charter schools the flexibility to reopen facilities if they satisfy certain criteria.
• “Formerly nonessential” businesses may offer curbside and delivery services until the stay-at-home order expires. Little said nonessential businesses can plan to reopen after April 30 as long as they have preparations in place to maintain proper sanitation and social distancing measures.
• Under the renewed order, nonessential public transit trips and gatherings of any size remain prohibited, and nonessential travelers returning to Idaho from out of state must still self-quarantine for two weeks.
• Little introduced the “Recreate Responsibly Idaho” campaign, which offers guidelines for people who want to partake in outdoor recreation during the stay-at-home order. Guidelines include practicing social distancing, limiting travel between counties, and refraining from high-risk activities.

Illinois

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home or in-place-of-residence order that allows for residents to leave for essential activities, essential government functions or to operate essential businesses or operations. The order lasts until April 30.
• Schools will remain closed to in-person learning for the rest of the academic year, Pritzker announced on April 17.
• On March 27, Pritzker announced measures to expand SNAP benefits and increase support for child care providers and people experiencing homelessness.
• All essential workers in health care, human services, government services, and infrastructure qualify for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program as of April 1.
• Under an executive order issued April 6, the Illinois Department of Corrections director can allow “medically vulnerable” inmates to temporarily leave prison for the duration of the state’s disaster proclamation.
• Illinois’ tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15.
• The state awarded $14 million to over 700 bars, restaurants and hotels through the Hospitality Emergency Grant Program.
• Pritzker introduced a Remote Patient Monitoring Program, through which health workers will provide wellness kits and daily virtual visits to COVID-19 patients recovering at home.
• The Illinois Department of Human Services launched a free emotional support text line for anyone experiencing coronavirus-related stress.
• An executive order bans elective surgeries and procedures, and makes health care professionals immune from civil liability in coronavirus cases.
• Essential personnel who contract COVID-19 on the job are now eligible for workers’ compensation.
• Pritzker’s administration expanded access to unemployment benefits by easing eligibility requirements and waiving the waiting week for claimants.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.
• The Illinois State Board of Education “does not expect teachers and families to replicate their students’ usual school experiences at home,” and, along with the governor, is recommending any grades given during the pandemic “reflect the unprecedented circumstances” in which students are operating.
• The state will provide additional SNAP benefits to the approximately 316,000 households with children eligible for free or reduced school meals, through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Indiana

• Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered Indiana residents to remain in their homes except for work deemed essential, caring for others and obtaining necessary supplies, beginning March 25. He issued a new two-week stay-at-home order on April 6, which extends earlier restrictions such as those limiting on-site restaurant, bar, and nightclub operations. It also closes campgrounds and requires essential businesses to follow specific social distancing measures. On April 20, Holcomb issued a revised order effective through May 1.
• The new order extends earlier restrictions and clarifies that as long as sufficient personal protective equipment is available, hospitals should conduct “medically necessary procedures.” It also specifies that yard work, gardening, planting and landscaping are permitted outdoor activities, and that pet grooming is permissible.
• Holcomb postponed the state’s presidential primary from May 5 to June 2.
• The governor prohibited utilities from cutting off services and banned landlords from evicting people from residential homes and communities.
• Holcomb announced incarcerated individuals at the Miami Correctional Facility are producing face masks, personal protection gowns, face shields and hand sanitizer to be used in the fight against COVID-19.
• All K-12 schools are closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year, and will continue with remote learning. Holcomb issued an executive order waiving education requirements that cannot be met due to the closure of school buildings.
• Holcomb signed an executive order on April 7 allowing retired and inactive EMS professionals to provide health care services if they work under a licensed supervisor or obtain a temporary certification from the state’s Department of Homeland Security.
• Religious and spiritual gatherings are capped at 10 people. Holcomb issued additional guidance for places of worship, encouraging them to close physical locations and conduct services virtually. The directive also lists restrictions for drive-in services and discourages vulnerable individuals from attending.
• Holcomb issued an executive order allowing pharmacy students who have successfully completed all required course work to apply for temporary licenses with the Professional Licensing Agency.
• The Indiana Department of Revenue delayed certain tax filing deadlines to July 15, in line with the federal extension.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.

Iowa

• Gov. Kim Reynolds has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order, but has signed multiple proclamations continuing the State Public Health Emergency Declaration initially announced on March 17.
• Provisions of these proclamations include: the temporary closure of schools, the suspension of elective and nonessential medical procedures, and the prohibition of gatherings larger than 10 people.
• Reynolds has extended closures and limitations for restaurants, bars and certain retail stores. Her April 6 proclamation imposes additional regulations including the closure of malls, entertainment venues, playgrounds, campgrounds, tobacco stores, museums, and libraries until April 30.
• Reynolds also called on police to enforce the prohibition on public gatherings larger than 10 people.
• The state said existing permits to carry or acquire a firearm will not expire until further notice.
• An April 10 proclamation extended the emergency declaration through 11:59 p.m. on April 30 and introduced additional regulatory relief measures. The provisions give health facilities greater flexibility, remove some in-person regulatory requirements and “permit community colleges and school districts to adjust to the suspension of in-person instruction.”
• Reynolds announced on April 17 that schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Instructional time requirements are waived, and schools will extend their previously-approved “continuous learning” plans.
• Reynolds announced the launch of “TestIowa,” a public-private partnership set to increase the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity by up to 3,000 additional tests per day. The state created an online health assessment, which Reynolds is encouraging even asymptomatic individuals to fill out, and is setting up drive-through testing tents.

Kansas

• Gov. Laura Kelly signed a statewide stay-at-home order that shuts down businesses, government and other operations unless considered essential. People must maintain six feet from others in public, and limit gatherings to no more than 10 people. Kelly has since extended the order through midnight on May 3.
• The governor extended the closure of K-12 schools for the duration of the academic year.
• Kelly issued an executive order temporarily preventing foreclosures and evictions.
• State government operations were suspended for two weeks beginning March 23 and gradually reintroduced beginning April 6, with a majority of state employees working remotely.
• Kelly signed an executive order on April 7 that designates religious services and funerals as “essential functions,” but limits in-person gatherings to no more than 10 people and requires clergy to adhere to the safety protocols outlined in the stay-at-home order. State lawmakers voted along party lines to overturn the order the following day, saying it violated religious liberty. Kelly’s administration then sued the legislative council in Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously to uphold the order. On April 18, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the order through May 2.
• An April 10 executive order extends professional and occupational licenses for the duration of the pandemic, waives late penalties and expiration fees, and extends deadlines for continuing education requirements. An April 16 order applies occupational licensing extensions to adult-care home workers.
• Health officials are encouraging Kansans to wear cloth face coverings in public.
• The Kansas Corporation Commission extended an emergency order prohibiting utility disconnects due to nonpayment until May 15.
• Kelly and the Department for Children and Families announced the “Hero Relief Program” for financially-eligible essential workers, which expands DCF’s child care assistance subsidies for families and offers financial support directly to child care providers.

Kentucky

• Gov. Andy Beshear enacted a statewide “Healthy at Home” order effective March 26. All “non-life-sustaining” businesses ceased in-person services, with exceptions including grocery stores, gas stations, hardware stores and firearm and ammunition retailers. The order also halted all residential evictions for the duration of the state of emergency.
• Restaurants can offer only carry-out, delivery, and drive-through food and beverage services. All essential businesses permitted to operate are required to follow social distancing and hygiene guidance from the CDC and state public health department.
• Beshear signed an order urging Kentucky residents not to leave the state and limited out of state travel for residents of Kentucky, with a handful of exceptions, including when required for employment or to seek or obtain care by a health care provider. The order also requires Kentuckians traveling from out of state to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
• On April 2, Beshear applied travel restrictions to residents of other states seeking to travel into Kentucky, “except in specific circumstances.”
• Beshear announced plans to commute the sentences of hundreds of nonviolent offenders.
• Most state parks remain open during the day, but their lodges, cottages, restaurants, and campgrounds are closed.
• Kentucky is adopting guidance from the CDC to wear cloth masks in certain situations “on a voluntary basis,” in addition to practicing social distancing.
• An executive order issued April 8 limits the number of shoppers allowed inside essential businesses to “one adult member per household.”
• Pharmacists across the state are permitted to dispense emergency refills of up to a 30 day supply of non-scheduled medications for Kentucky residents, and can temporarily operate pharmacies in areas not designated on the pharmacy permit. These provisions are set to expire on May 8.
• Beshear expanded workers’ compensation eligibility to front-line personnel.
• Kentucky’s primary election has been postponed from May 19 to June 23. The State Board of Elections is preparing to conduct it largely through absentee voting.
• The Kentucky Exposition Center is being converted into a temporary 2,000-bed field hospital.
• Beshear ordered individuals who attended the seven in-person services held on Easter to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Some state facilities will reopen as shelters for people who lack a place in which to self-isolate and can care for themselves with “minimal medical intervention.”
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen the Midwestern states.
• On April 17, Beshear announced seven benchmarks the state will use to determine the phases for economic reopening, and outlined the criteria it must meet in order to enter the first phase.
• On April 20, Beshear advised schools to remain closed to in-person instruction for the rest of the academic year. They are encouraged to continue “nontraditional instruction” and food service for students in need.
• Beshear announced the “Healthy at Work” initiative for the safe and incremental reopening of Kentucky’s economy. He said on April 21 that it is in the first phase, which is a state-readiness evaluation. The second phase will be an individual business-readiness evaluation.

Louisiana

• Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a statewide stay-at-home order through the morning of April 30. Nonessential businesses must remain closed, and gatherings larger than 10 people are prohibited. People can still do essential tasks such as go to the grocery store, pick up prescriptions or go to work “if absolutely necessary.”
• Edwards declared a public health emergency on March 11. By March 24, President Trump had approved the governor’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, allowing the federal government to offer more support for state and local agencies.
• Edwards signed a proclamation relaxing medical licensure laws, making it easier for health care workers from out of state to practice in Louisiana. The proclamation also directs funerals to occur as expeditiously as possible.
• The Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force set out to examine how health inequities are affecting communities impacted by the coronavirus.
• Louisiana’s June 20 primary election has been rescheduled for July 11. Its July 25 election has been postponed to August 15.
• On April 15, Edwards ordered K-12 public schools closed for the rest of the academic year. Students will continue with remote learning.
• The Louisiana Department of Health issued a revised order for medical and surgical procedures, outlining the conditions under which they can be performed beginning April 27. It loosens restrictions from a previous order, which allowed surgeries only for emergency medical conditions.

Maine

• Gov. Janet Mills issued an order directing residents to “stay at home at all times unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, such as obtaining food, medicine, health care, or other necessary purposes” until at least April 30.
• Restaurants and bars are closed to dine-in customers for the duration of the stay-at-home order. Essential businesses must comply with specific social distancing measures, including limiting the number of customers allowed inside at any one time.
• Individuals must maintain a six-foot distance from others when in public.
• Public and private schools and institutes of higher education have suspended classroom and in-person instruction until at least May 1. The commissioner of education recommended schools continue remote learning for the duration of the academic year.
• The state legislature approved Gov. Mills’ emergency package worth roughly $11 million that expands eligibility for unemployment benefits and prohibits utilities from terminating residential electric and water service.
• Mills issued an executive order mandating that all travelers entering Maine, regardless of their state of residency, self-quarantine for 14 days. It exempts individuals who are providing “essential services.”
• The order also suspends lodging operations like hotels and short-term rentals, except for those accommodating essential workers and vulnerable populations. It extends until at least April 30.
• Mills issued an executive order on April 7 that expands access to health care by allowing licensed social workers, psychologists and physical therapists to provide services via telehealth. It also allows certain health care providers like respiratory therapists and pharmacists to receive temporary licenses to provide care if licensed in another state, or reactivate their Maine license if retired within the last three years.
• Preparation is underway to open two alternative care sites in Portland and Bangor.
• Maine’s primary election has been rescheduled to July 14. Applications for absentee ballots can be made, without specifying a reason, up to and including the day of the election.
• An April 16 executive order limits evictions during the state of emergency.
• Mills announced a new rental assistance relief program for people affected by COVID-19. Eligible households will receive a one-time payment up to $500 that will be paid directly to their landlord.

Maryland

• Gov. Larry Hogan announced a statewide stay-at-home order on March 30, demanding residents not leave their homes or travel outside the state unless it is absolutely essential.
• Maryland residents returning home from out of state are directed to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Nonessential businesses are closed, and gatherings larger than 10 people are prohibited.
• All day care facilities were ordered closed by the end of the day March 27. Exceptions will be made for facilities providing child care assistance to essential personnel.
• The governor also ordered recreational and entertainment facilities such as malls, casinos and racetracks to close. Restaurants and bars that serve food are carryout or delivery only.
• Maryland postponed its April 28 primary election to June 2. It will be conducted by mail with limited in-person voting.
• Hogan suspended certain regulations to allow for the temporary expansion of telehealth services.
• Maryland’s income tax deadline has been extended to July 15.
• Hogan banned evictions of tenants who are unable to pay rent because of the coronavirus, and prohibited utility companies from shutting off residential service and charging residential late fees.
• An April 3 order extended those renter protections and introduced new provisions. Certain repossessions are suspended, residential mortgage closures may not be initiated, and commercial evictions are prohibited as long as tenants can prove they lost income because of the coronavirus.
• Hogan authorized local health departments to “take action against any businesses, establishments, and construction sites they deem unsafe,” allowing them to work with local law enforcement to modify operations or shut such sites down altogether.
• On April 10, Hogan announced an immediate hiring and budget freeze on discretionary state spending across all agencies.
• Maryland courts will remain closed through June 5.
• Hogan issued an emergency order placing restrictions on dispensing drugs given to COVID-19 patients, including hydroxychloroquine.
• An executive order requires individuals to wear face coverings when inside any retail establishment or riding any form of public transportation, effective April 18. It also orders all retail locations to put appropriate social distancing measures in place and require staff to wear face coverings.
• Hogan said on April 15 that the state is “now in a position to begin planning the safe and gradual rollout” of its recovery phase. His plan focuses on increasing testing, hospital surge capacity, personal protective equipment supply, and contact tracing operations.
• School closures have been extended through May 15, with distance learning to continue.
• The state invested $8 million in the Capital Area Food Bank and Maryland Food Bank. It also created a $5 million fund to incentivize Maryland businesses to make personal protective equipment.
• Hogan announced on April 20 that the state secured 500,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korean company LabGenomics.
• While barber shops and salons are generally closed, recent interpretive guidance permits them to serve certain essential personnel while adhering to specific conditions.

Massachusetts

• Gov. Charlie Baker ordered nonessential businesses to close throughout the state until May 4. Businesses that provide essential services, such as restaurants and pharmacies, are excluded, including liquor stores and medical marijuana shops. Restaurants may operate through carryout and delivery service only.
• Baker on March 27 ordered all travelers arriving from out of state to self-quarantine for 14 days. Residents over 70 or with underlying health conditions have been “strongly advised” to stay home.
• Baker issued an emergency order allowing physicians who retired in good standing within the past year to reactivate their licenses.
• State courts announced that no evictions would occur until at least April 21.
• State authorities rolled out an online portal to facilitate the donation or sale of personal protective equipment.
• An emergency order closed all coastal beach reservation parking areas managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation beginning April 3. It also reopened certain seasonal state parks ahead of schedule that same day.
• Massachusetts extended its state income tax filing deadline to July 15.
• Grocery stores must limit occupancy to 40 percent of their maximum permitted levels, enforce social distancing measures, and provide alternative hours for adults over the age of 60.
• Baker issued emergency orders easing licensing restrictions for foreign-educated doctors to practice in the state, expediting the licensure of nursing school students and graduates, and mandating that insurers cover all “medically required costs of COVID-19 treatment” in out-of-network hospitals.
• The use of a face covering or cloth mask is recommended when in situations where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing measures, such as grocery shopping.
• Baker’s administration announced the launch of the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team, along with $10.6 million in funding. The initiative will support manufacturers as they pivot operations to produce personal protective equipment and other critical supplies for front line and health care workers.
• The state is conducting contact tracing through the newly-created COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative, which makes private phone calls to individuals who tested positive or were in contact with someone who did.
• Courthouses will be closed to the public until at least May 4, except to conduct emergency hearings that cannot be held virtually. All criminal and civil trials scheduled to begin on or before May 1 are “continued to a date no earlier than May 4.”
• Baker outlined five key initiatives in his administration’s ongoing strategy to support homeless populations during the outbreak. Additionally, the Department of Children and Families is making supplementary monthly payments to foster parents through June, and Baker authorized the Department of Early Education and Care to establish emergency sites for youth living in residential homes that need to be cared for in isolation due to COVID-19.
• Baker signed legislation on April 20 prohibiting evictions and foreclosures during the emergency.
• On April 21, Baker extended the closure of K-12 schools and non-emergency child care programs through the end of the academic year. Remote learning will continue.

Michigan

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statewide stay-at-home order, now effective through April 30. The extension of the order, announced April 9, introduced stricter restrictions for essential businesses. Stores must limit the number of customers per thousand square feet, and big box stores must close “any area that does not sell food, cleaning supplies, or medical supplies.”
• The order extends the prohibition on “all public and private gatherings among persons outside a single household” and encourages people to limit the number of household members running errands.
• Whitmer issued a rule banning employers from firing or otherwise retaliating against an employee “for staying home from work if they or one of their close contacts tests positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms of the disease.”
• Whitmer signed an executive order extending deadline to complete the canvass from the March 10 presidential primary by a month to April 24.
• All K-12 public, private and boarding school buildings were ordered closed through the end of the school year, with most in-person classes replaced with remote learning.
• Whitmer issued an executive order temporarily suspending eviction allowing residents to remain in their homes even if they are unable to pay their rent or mortgage. She also expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits.
• The governor signed an order to protect incarcerated people held in county jails, local lockups and juvenile detention centers during the outbreak. It identifies people potentially eligible for early release including inmates who are aging or those with chronic conditions, pregnant women or people nearing their release date, and anyone incarcerated for a traffic violation and failure to appear or failure to pay.
• Whitmer has temporarily suspended requirements regarding the licensing and regulation of emergency medical services.
• The TCF Regional Care Center, Michigan’s first alternate care facility, began accepting patients on April 10.
• Whitmer signed an executive order temporarily extending valid driver’s licenses, state identification cards and commercial vehicle registrations that would otherwise expire during the state of emergency.
• Whitmer also ordered the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to initiate a spirits buy-back program to help bars and restaurants with on-premise liquor licenses.
• An April 15 executive order establishes specific procedures in long-term care facilities to protect the health and safety of workers and residents.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.
• The state Department of Health and Human Services partnered with meditation company Headspace to launch “Stay Home, Stay MIndful,” a free website with mental health resources like guided meditations and at-home exercises for Michiganders.
• On April 17, Whitmer signed executive orders extending the suspension of evictions and enhancing restrictions on price gouging through May 15.
• Through an April 20 executive order, Whitmer created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities. The advisory body will conduct research into the causes of racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19 and make recommendations to address them.
• An executive order allowing pharmacists to dispense 60-day refills of maintenance prescriptions has been extended through May 19.

Minnesota

• Gov. Tim Walz has extended the statewide stay-at-home order through May 4. Nonessential businesses remain closed, and Minnesotans may only leave their residences for certain essential purposes.
• Walz announced on April 2 that the state’s health plans — including those offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and HealthPartners, among others — have agreed to waive expenses related to COVID-19 testing and treatment.
• The governor issued a “temporary moratorium on eviction actions” allowing residents to remain “stably housed” while safeguarding the public.
• Walz signed two executive orders on April 6: one that authorizes out-of-state mental health providers to treat Minnesota patients through telehealth services, and one that amends a previous order aimed at expediting state unemployment insurance benefits.
• The state passed a bill expanding workers’ compensation eligibility for first responders and front-line workers by allowing them to qualify for benefits if they test positive for COVID-19.
• Public and charter schools began distance learning on March 30, and will remain closed until at least April 30.
• Hiring for executive branch positions is frozen, and Walz has implemented salary cuts for himself, his chief of staff and cabinet agency commissioners for the rest of the year.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.
• An April 17 executive order expands the list of allowable outdoor recreational activities by reopening certain facilities, including parks, golf courses, bait shops and boating services. It requires Minnesotans partaking in these activities to practice social distancing, avoid crowded areas and stay close to home.
• Walz signed legislation allowing restaurants and bars to sell unopened beer, hard seltzer, cider and wine with food orders during the outbreak.
• On April 18, Walz launched a week-long statewide homemade mask drive, encouraging Minnesotans to create cloth masks and donate them to their local fire department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 25.
• The state authorized a total of $30 million to assist child care providers. The Minnesota Department of Human Services is awarding about $9.8 million to providers serving the children of essential workers as part of the first round of emergency funding.

Mississippi

• On April 1, Gov. Tate Reeves issued a statewide stay-at-home order, banning residents from leaving the home for activities deemed nonessential. He announced on April 17 that it would remain in effect for an additional week. The revised order is set to expire at 8:00 a.m. on April 27.
• On March 24 the governor signed an executive order restricting gatherings to groups of 10 people or less and mandating bars and restaurants move to drive-thru, delivery or carryout unless able to reduce dine-in service to less than 10 people.
• The Mississippi State Department of Health is recommending people wear non-medical grade masks when in public.
• Reeves called on pastors to not hold Easter Sunday services, but said he would not order churches to close.
• Beginning April 10, health care facilities must postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary. The order is in effect until April 27.
• Reeves signed an executive order granting additional civil liability protections for health care workers and facilities responding to COVID-19 outside of their normal duties.
• Income tax due dates have been extended to May 15.
• The Mississippi Public Service Commission has temporarily prohibited utility shutoffs.
• Reeves announced on April 14 that school buildings will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, but distance learning will continue.
• The State Housing Finance Agency for Mississippi has reopened its Home Saver Program to provide short-term mortgage assistance to eligible homeowners who have lost income or employment due to COVID-19.
• Reeves announced on April 17 that lakes and beaches can reopen to allow people to “fish or relax.” He is also permitting nonessential businesses to conduct sales via drive-through, curbside and delivery services. Businesses like salons may safely sell their excess supplies.

Missouri

• Gov. Mike Parson issued a statewide “Stay Home Missouri” order effective April 6. People may only leave their places of residence when necessary, and must practice social distancing. Parson has since extended the order through May 3.
• The governor signed an executive order on March 27 to begin mobilizing the Missouri National Guard. The order goes through at least May 15.
• Parson announced on April 8 that the state would begin converting a hotel in the St. Louis region into an alternate care site.
• As of April 9, Missouri public and charter school buildings are closed through the remainder of the academic year.
• Parson signed a $6.2 billion supplemental budget on April 10 that will provide access to federal funding under the CARES Act for coronavirus-related expenses and economic relief.
• Missouri’s Department of Transportation received a $61.7 million federal grant for rural transit as part of the CARES Act.
• The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding a $152.4 million grant for the state’s airports under the CARES Act.
• The Missouri Department of Conservation said staffed shooting ranges, nature centers, visitor centers and educational centers are closed to the public through April 30. Conservation areas, nature center trails and boat accesses remain open.
• Parson postponed municipal elections to June 2. He told NPR on April 15 that he does not plan to expand vote-by-mail options.
• Between April 16 and May 4, Parson said, the state will develop a two-phase “Show Me Strong Recovery” plan for getting Missourians safely back to work. The pillars of the plan are testing volume, personal protective equipment supply, health care system capacity, and public health data.
• Parson announced that state grants totaling $3.05 million were awarded to 16 broadband development projects working to bring high-speed internet access to rural areas.
• Parson announced two rounds of expenditure restrictions in April, of $180 million and $47 million respectively, to balance the budget and preserve funds to deal with COVID-19.

Montana

• Gov. Steve Bullock issued a statewide stay-at-home directive effective March 28. He has since extended it through April 24, and announced that after that, the state will “move forward with a phased reopening.”
• The order closes nonessential businesses, provides social distancing requirements, and limits nonessential travel. On-premises dining and beverage businesses are closed, but delivery, takeout and drive-through options are encouraged.
• All non-residential public schools in the state will be closed through April 24.
• All travelers arriving in Montana from out of the state for non-work purposes are directed to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• The state has temporarily halted “evictions, foreclosures and cancellation of utility services including water, heating and internet service.”
• Bullock implemented emergency rules that make workers laid off or unable to work due to COVID-19 eligible for unemployment benefits, and waive the one week waiting period before receiving benefits.
• Child care facilities are classified as essential businesses, but may only operate if they can comply with specific safety and social distancing measures.
• Montanans are encouraged to wear cloth masks or face coverings when in public, in line with CDC guidelines.
• Bullock directed the creation of a program to provide emergency rental assistance to families experiencing “substantial financial hardship” due to COVID-19.
• FEMA delivered 5,000 nasal swabs to be used for COVID-19 testing throughout the state.

Nebraska

• Gov. Pete Ricketts has not issued a stay-at-home order, though Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House Coronavirus Task Force has called the state’s health directives “functionally equivalent.” All counties are now covered by Nebraska’s Directed Health Measure provisions, which apply statewide through May 11.
• The state-issued measure places an enforceable, 10-person limit on public gatherings. It also prohibits elective medical and dental procedures. Restaurants and bars must close, but can operate takeout, delivery, and curbside service.
• Public, private, and parochial schools must operate without students through May 31, and all school-related extracurricular activities are cancelled through that date. Remote learning, child care services, and meal distribution may continue.
• People who have tested positive for COVID-19, experience symptoms or reside with individuals who do must home quarantine for at least 14 days.
• The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has issued safety and social distancing guidance for faith-based communities.
• Beginning April 10, all beauty and nail salons, barber shops, massage therapy services, gentlemen’s clubs, bottle clubs, indoor theaters and tattoo studios across the state are closed until April 30.
• Organized youth and adult team sports are suspended until May 31.
• Ricketts proclaimed April 10-30 as “21 Days To Stay Home and Stay Healthy,” urging Nebraskans to perform their civic duty by further avoiding nonessential errands and limiting social gatherings.
• The proclamation offers additional guidance for practicing good hygiene and social distancing, directing people to telecommute or else “socially distance” their work, avoid visiting long-term care facilities, help children and seniors stay home, and shop alone and only once a week.
• Ricketts said on April 10 that he will not prematurely release individuals from state prisons during the pandemic.
• The state is expanding SNAP benefits by easing certain eligibility requirements. It is also extending recertification periods by six months and providing emergency allotments to SNAP recipients in April and May.
• Ricketts issued an executive order temporarily prohibiting residential evictions of Nebraskans impacted by COVID-19.
• The state Department of Agriculture has enacted temporary regulatory changes allowing restaurants to sell unlabeled packaged foods to customers.
• An April 15 executive order expands access to child care by waiving some regulations for the Child Care Subsidy Program. Participating providers may now bill the state for days when a child is absent, and participating families may now obtain in-home child care when other options are unavailable.
• Ricketts announced that elective surgeries may resume on May 4, as long as hospitals and health care facilities meet specific requirements for available bed capacity and personal protective equipment supply.
• The state is launching a public-private partnership to scale up COVID-19 testing capacity. The Test Nebraska initiative, similar to those in other states, will “assess, test and track” residents’ health, beginning with an online survey.

Nevada

• The state issued a stay-at-home directive. The order, which exempts certain “essential employees” such as medical professionals, extends through at least April 30.
• Gov. Steve Sisolak has ordered nonessential businesses to close until April 30, in a directive that also grants local governments the authority to impose fines for noncompliance.
• The governor signed an executive order banning the use of two prescription drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — to treat COVID-19. It exempts those receiving in-patient treatment for lupus or other diseases. The regulation is intended to thwart hoarding of the drugs.
• The state issued a moratorium on all evictions, with a 90-day grace period on mortgage payments.
• Visitors and residents returning from out of state have been urged to self-quarantine for two weeks after their arrival.
• Sisolak issued several new directives on April 8, effective through April 30. The orders shut down additional sporting and recreational venues, as well as showrooms that display goods for sale at essential businesses. Realtors are prohibited from doing in-person showings and open houses, and barbers and stylists cannot offer in-home beauty services. Places of worship are ordered to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people.
• Nevada’s Secretary of State announced in April that the June 9 primary election would take place by mail with just one in-person polling location per county. State Democratic officials have filed a lawsuit, arguing that the limited number of polling places presents issues for social distancing and that the proposed plan to send mail-in ballots only to those with an address on file will disenfranchise potential voters.
• Sisolak announced on April 21 that schools will remain closed and continue with distance learning for the rest of the academic year.
• That same day, Sisolak also announced a set of criteria for beginning the first phase of reopening, without setting a specific timeline.

New Hampshire

• Gov. Chris Sununu issued a stay-at-home order on March 26, mandating the closure of all nonessential businesses and requiring people to stay in their place of residence except for certain permitted activities. The order remains in effect until May 4. He said on April 21 that future extensions to the order are “likely.”
• Sununu has expanded the number of circumstances that qualify for state unemployment.
• Business tax payment deadlines for most of the small businesses throughout the state are delayed until June 15.
• Utilities in the state are prohibited from disconnecting service for non-payments through the duration of the emergency.
• An emergency order halts eviction proceedings and foreclosure actions through the duration of the emergency.
• On April 6, Sununu issued an emergency order restricting hotels and lodging providers to offer housing only to essential workers and vulnerable populations, as defined by the order.
• Absentee voting eligibility has been expanded to allow any New Hampshire voter concerned about visiting polling places to request an absentee ballot. This applies to the September primary and November general election regardless of how the outbreak may have progressed by the fall.
• On April 15, Sununu announced a $300 weekly stipend for up to 25,000 front line workers at residential facilities and social service organizations through June.
• Public K-12 schools will continue remote instruction through the end of the academic year, Sununu announced on April 16.
• The state Department of Health and Human Services received a $2 million grant to assist individuals impacted by mental health and substance use disorders during the pandemic, which it will use to create a system of crisis intervention, treatment and recovery supports.

New Jersey

• Gov. Phil Murphy has instructed New Jersey residents to stay home indefinitely, except for “obtaining essential goods or services, seeking medical attention, visiting family or close friends, reporting to work, or engaging in outdoor activities.”
• All gatherings are prohibited, with very few exceptions, and people must stay at least 6 feet apart from each other in public if possible.
• The state’s attorney general has said that law enforcement will enforce the governor’s executive orders, and people who don’t comply will face criminal charges.
• Businesses are directed to switch to work-from-home arrangements wherever possible.
• Murphy says state officials are working to reopen closed hospitals and set up regional field medical stations to add at least 2,300 beds.
• Essential workers qualify for assistance for child care costs.
• Murphy has signed a number of executive orders intended to help meet the need for ventilators and Personal Protective Equipment in state health care facilities, including an April 2 order authorizing the commandeering of property like medical supplies from private entities.
• Murphy also signed an order that allows retirees to return to state and local government without impacting their retirement pensions, and removes restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to temporarily supplement their ranks, in an effort to strengthen the public workforce.
• Murphy signed an executive order waiving 2019-2020 school year assessment requirements for 11th and 12th grade students.
• He also signed an order to extend certain statutory deadlines for school districts whose April elections were postponed until May 12, to give them time to certify their budgets and make staffing decisions.
• An April 7 executive order closed all country parks, state parks and state forests indefinitely.
• The state’s primary elections, originally set for June 2, were rescheduled to July 7.
• Murphy signed an executive order requiring all nonessential construction projects to cease by the evening of April 10. The order imposes additional mitigation requirements on essential retail, manufacturing and warehousing businesses.
• Murphy signed an executive order establishing a process to provide “temporary home confinement”or grant early parole for incarcerated individuals who meet certain criteria.
• FEMA approved the state’s request to provide emergency, non-congregate sheltering for “individuals impacted by COVID-19 that do not have means or ability to isolate themselves,” expanding housing access for vulnerable individuals, health care workers and first responders.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• Murphy signed an executive order prohibiting cable and telecommunications providers from terminating internet and voice service due to nonpayment until 30 days after the public health emergency ends.
• Murphy signed a bill that provides civil and criminal immunity to health care workers during the state of emergency. He signed another allowing professional and occupational licensing boards to reactivate some professional licenses during the emergency.
• Murphy expanded protections of the Family Leave Act, allowing workers forced to take time off to care for family during the outbreak to use up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave in a 24-month period without jeopardizing their jobs.
• State tax returns are not due until July 15.
• Murphy announced on April 16 that schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year.
• After police discovered 17 bodies stacked in a makeshift morgue at a nursing facility, Murphy directed the Attorney General’s office to investigate “all long-term care facilities that have experienced a disproportionate number of deaths” during the outbreak.
• For the duration of the emergency, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency has suspended rent increases at all eligible properties in its portfolio, which includes 36,000 rental units across the state.
• Eligible physicians who are licensed in another country but living in the U.S. can now apply for a temporary emergency license to practice in New Jersey.
• The governors of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut announced that marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers in their states can operate for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitation protocols are upheld.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

New Mexico

• Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a stay-at-home order requiring nonessential businesses to close and 100% of the nonessential workforce to work from home. Residents are instructed to make only emergency or essential outings. An executive order issued April 6 extended the state of public health emergency and all associated directives through April 30.
• The order also requires essential businesses still operating to limit occupancy in retail spaces and enforce social distancing protocols, and deems automobile dealerships, payday lenders and liquor stores nonessential. It mandates that hotels and other places of lodging operate at no more than 25 percent of maximum occupancy, reduced from 50 percent.
• Businesses that fail to comply could “lose their licenses to operate and face criminal or civil penalties.”
• Gatherings of five or more people in a single confined space are not allowed.
• Lujan Grisham has ordered people traveling by plane to the state to self-quarantine for at least two weeks.
• K-12 public schools will remain closed through the rest of the school year, and public education will switch to learn-at-home.
• New Mexicans are encouraged to wear cloth, non-medical masks when in public, in line with CDC guidance.
• Just before Easter, Lujan Grisham expanded the mass gathering ban to include houses of worship.
• The state Supreme Court rejected an emergency petition to make New Mexico’s June 2 primary a mail election, ruling instead to order county clerks to send absentee ballot applications to voters. Lujan Grisham said in an April 15 tweet that she remained confident the election could be “conducted almost entirely if not entirely through mail.”
• The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department has partnered with the Navajo Nation and several pueblos to deliver food to tribal communities.
• New Mexico State Parks are closed through April 30. Anyone who willingly violates these closures will be subject to law enforcement action, with penalties of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
• The governor’s office released an app that offers free 24-hour crisis and non-crisis support and access to additional mental health resources.
• The state is distributing supplemental shipments of personal protective equipment to local entities like cities, counties, tribes, pueblos, elder care facilities and health clinics.

New York

• Gov. Andrew Cuomo mandated that all nonessential workers stay home as part of the “New York State on Pause” executive order. Schools and nonessential businesses are closed, and social distancing rules remain in place. The order has been extended through May 15.
• Cuomo has banned “all nonessential gatherings of individuals of size for any reason.” People are required to maintain a six-foot distance from others in public.
• New York City playgrounds are closing “to address the lack of adherence to social distancing protocols.”
• Beginning April 7, New York increased the maximum fine for violations of its social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000.
• Federal and local officials built a temporary 1,000-bed hospital at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and are in the process of adding thousands of additional beds.
• President Trump agreed to the governor’s request to treat coronavirus patients on the USNS Comfort, which will provide an additional 1,000 beds staffed by federal personnel.
• The state has extended the period covered by unemployment benefits to a total of 39 weeks.
• Cuomo issued an order allowing funeral directors licensed out of state to practice in New York.
• The state’s presidential primary has been moved to June 23. Cuomo issued an executive order allowing all New York voters to cast absentee ballots.
• An additional $200 million in emergency food assistance will be available for SNAP-eligible households.
• New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said on April 11 that the city’s public schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, but Cuomo has yet to finalize such a decision.
• Cuomo ordered all essential businesses to provide face coverings for their employees and ensure workers are wearing them when in direct contact with customers or members of the public, beginning April 15.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• Beginning April 17, all New Yorkers are required to wear a mask or face covering in public and “in situations where social distancing is not possible.” This includes on public transportation and in for-hire vehicles.
• Cuomo is issuing an executive order requiring all public and private labs in New York to coordinate with the State Department of Health to prioritize diagnostic testing.
• The governors of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut announced that marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers in their states can operate for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitation protocols are upheld.
• Cuomo issued an executive order allowing New Yorkers to obtain marriage licenses remotely and permitting authorized officiants to perform marriage ceremonies using online video technology.
• The state’s department of health began conducting a statewide antibody testing survey on April 20.
• The new COVID-19 Maternity Task Force will develop a plan to authorize and certify additional birth centers beyond already-stressed hospitals, and review the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy.
• Cuomo announced that elective outpatient treatments will be allowed to resume on April 28 in select counties and hospitals with low risks of an imminent COVID-19 surge.
• Following an April 21 meeting with President Trump, Cuomo announced a partnership with the federal government to double testing capacity in the state to 40,000 tests per day.
• Cuomo announced on April 22 that New York will launch a “testing/tracing program in unison” with New Jersey and Connecticut.

North Carolina

• Gov. Roy Cooper announced a statewide stay-at-home order that will be in effect through April 29. The order directs North Carolina residents to leave only for “essential activities,” and maintain social distancing of at least six feet.
• K-12 public schools statewide are closed through May 15.
• The state is temporarily prohibiting utilities from cutting off people who are unable to pay for their “electric, gas, water and wastewater services.”
• North Carolina’s tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15 for individual, corporate, and franchise taxes, in keeping with the rescheduled IRS due date.
• On April 7, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it would provide financial assistance to help certain eligible essential workers afford child care, and give bonuses to child care teachers and staff working during the pandemic.
• The state received approval from FEMA to establish alternative housing for people with unstable housing who must quarantine either as a precautionary measure or after being exposed to the virus. The state aims to provide more than 16,500 individual housing units in hotels, motels, dormitories, and trailers.
• Cooper called on people to avoid gathering for Easter and Passover.
• An April 9 executive order requires retail stores still operating to implement stricter social distancing policies, like limiting the number people inside at once requiring specific cleaning measures, and designating certain shopping times for high-risk individuals.
• The order makes specific public health and safety measures mandatory for nursing homes, and recommends other long-term care facilities follow those directives. It also streamlines the process for employers filing unemployment claims on behalf of their workers.
• On April 15, Cooper announced a roadmap for incrementally easing certain restrictions, contingent on making progress in “testing, tracing and trends.”
• The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with universities in the state for a study monitoring the prevalence of COVID-19 cases, especially with mild or no symptoms, in specific counties over several months.
• North Carolina has been approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which helps families purchase food for children impacted by school closings due to COVID-19. The program will provide additional food benefits to more than 800,000 children who would normally receive free or reduced lunch at school.
• Cooper signed an executive order making furloughed workers eligible for unemployment benefits.

North Dakota

• Gov. Doug Burgum has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order.
• Many types of businesses have been ordered closed, including recreational facilities, gyms, entertainment venues and “all salons operated by licensed cosmetologists.” Restaurants and bars are closed to on-site patrons, but takeout and delivery services can continue. Burgum has extended these restrictions through April 30.
• As of March 30, public and non-public K-12 schools are closed “until further notice.” An executive order will allow some public school districts to “open facilities through the month of May, for the limited purpose of providing child care services to children in grades K-5 only, for K-12 teachers and other health, safety and lifeline worker households.”
• Burgum issued an executive order waiving the one-week waiting period to obtain unemployment benefits, as the state saw a surge in jobless claims.
• Individuals who test positive for COVID-19, and their household members, are ordered to self-quarantine in their place of residence for 14 days, according to an April 6 executive order.
• Burgum signed an order suspending visitation to long-term care facilities, “except in cases of end-of-life or compassionate care circumstances,” until further notice.
• Burgum signed an executive order allowing Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities and Qualified Residential Treatment Programs to make certain policy and regulatory changes in order to continue providing critical services for vulnerable youth.
• Burgum released the state’s finalized hospital surge plan on April 14.

Ohio

• Gov. Mike DeWine has issued a stay-at-home order, which requires individuals to stay at least 6 feet away from each other “as much as reasonably possible,” excluding people that they live with. It is to remain in effect until at least May 1.
• An expanded stay-at-home order took effect at 11:59 p.m. on April 6 that requires essential business to limit the number of customers allowed in stores and asks travelers entering Ohio to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Voters who didn’t make it to the polls on March 17 may still cast a ballot. Although most in-person voting for the primary has been eliminated, absentee voting has been extended until April 28.
• Residents are encouraged to donate personal protection equipment to Ohio health care workers and first responders by contacting local emergency management agency offices.
• An executive order signed April 4 expands access to telehealth services from counselors, social workers, and marriage and family counselors by eliminating certain requirements.
• DeWine signed an executive order into effect on April 7 that allows establishments with liquor licenses to sell and deliver drinks, including high-proof liquor, for off-premises consumption.
• Ohioans are encouraged to wear cloth masks in public, in line with CDC recommendations.
• DeWine announced on April 15 that he had approved the early release of 105 individuals from state prisons under an existing emergency overcrowding statue.
• In response to people traveling from out of state to purchase alcohol, in-person liquor sales in border counties have been restricted to Ohio residents only.
• The Ohio Department of Health ordered long-term care facilities to notify residents and families within 24 hours of a staff member or resident testing positive for COVID-19.
• DeWine signed an executive order providing nearly $5 million in emergency funding to Ohio’s food banks and hunger relief network.
• Lt. Gov. John Husted announced on April 14 that over 660 critical employers were seeking to fill approximately 41,000 essential job openings.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.
• DeWine said starting May 1, the state will begin a gradual “phased-in reopening” of its economy.
• On April 20, DeWine extended school closures through the rest of the academic year. He said distance learning will continue and districts will have flexibility as they plan for next year, leaving open the possibility of a “blended system” in the fall.
• DeWine created a Minority Health Strike Force to examine how COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting minority groups in the state and provide assistance.
• The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation approved the sending of $1.6 billion in dividends to private employers and local government taxing districts. DeWine announced on April 21 that more than 170,000 checks would be mailed out within five days.

Oklahoma

• Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a statewide “Safer at Home” order for adults over the age of 65 and individuals with serious underlying medical conditions. The order now applies to all counties in the state, and has been extended through May 6.
• The order also limits gatherings to no more than 10 people, prohibits visitation to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and postpones all elective and non-emergency medical and dental procedures.
• On April 16, Stitt released guidelines for medical providers determining how to proceed with elective surgeries. Procedures for certain conditions may resume April 24, and other minor medical and dental procedures may resume May 1.
• Stitt has issued an executive order requiring travelers from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, California and Louisiana to quarantine for 14 days.
• On April 2, Stitt declared a health emergency for 30 days, which grants him broader powers to waive certain regulatory requirements and coordinate between local health departments.
• All delivery personnel must submit to screening if asked at hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and schools before making a delivery.
• Nonessential businesses are closed, and restaurants may only offer curbside pickup and delivery.
• Starting April 6, school “districts will be expected to provide distance learning for the remainder of the school year,” according to state officials.
• Oklahoma State University is ramping up its capacity to perform up 2,000 tests per day.
• Stitt approved an emergency rule that provides hiring flexibilities for nurse aides for the duration of the emergency declaration.
• On April 6, the Oklahoma Legislature approved the Catastrophic Health Emergency Act, which gives Stitt the power to temporarily “suspend laws and regulations that interfere with the state’s ability to respond to the pandemic.”
• Stitt issued an executive order guaranteeing first responders paid time off if they contract COVID-19.
• Stitt approved the commutations of 452 individuals for early release on April 16.

Oregon

• Gov. Kate Brown has issued an order directing Oregonians to “stay at home to the maximum extent possible,” which remains in effect indefinitely.
• The order prohibits all gatherings, no matter what size, if people can’t maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other.
• Oregon’s K-12 and post-secondary schools are closed through the end of the academic year. Educators are encouraged to complete the term through distance learning.
• Dine-in service at restaurants and bars is banned indefinitely.
• A temporary moratorium on all residential evictions has been put in place indefinitely, and landlords may not charge late fees for late rent or utility payments.
• The state’s tax filing and payment deadlines for personal income taxes and some other taxes have been extended through July 15.
• Brown issued a statement on April 7 encouraging Oregonians to wear cloth face masks when out in public, in line with CDC guidance.
• Oregon will provide an extra $30 million in SNAP benefits to eligible households in both April and May.
• The state fire marshal has extended self-service at gas stations through April 25.
• In an April 10 statement, Brown said decisions about potential early release for incarcerated individuals should be made on a case-by-case basis, and she had “no specific plans” to abandon that approach.
• The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the Western States Pact on April 13. The framework offers principles and goals for a shared approach to reopening states’ economies.
• Brown announced on April 13 that the state would provide $8 million total to the Oregon Food Bank Network in weekly payments over the next two months.
• On April 14, Brown introduced her “Reopening Oregon” plan, a public health framework for restarting public life and business. The plan lays out next steps without specifying a timeline.
• As local governments begin their budget processes in the month of April, Brown issued an executive order directing them to “take necessary measures to facilitate public participation in decision-making,” such as holding public hearings electronically or by phone.
• An April 17 executive order prevents creditors or debt collectors from garnishing federal CARES Act recovery rebate payments.
• Brown announced on April 20 that the Oregon National Guard will distribute approximately 395,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to long-term care facilities across the state.
• Brown said she will preserve the Corporate Activities Tax, which businesses making more than $1 million must pay regardless of whether they make a profit. The Oregon Republican Party had called for a delay.

Pennsylvania

• Gov. Tom Wolf has issued a statewide stay-at-home order initially effective until April 30. It is now set to last until 12:01 a.m. on May 8.
• Pennsylvania residents are allowed to leave their homes for a few select reasons, such as “tasks essential to maintain health and safety” and “getting necessary services or supplies.”
• Wolf updated the stay-at-home order guidance on April 4 to encourage religious leaders to “find alternatives to in-person gatherings,” especially in light of holidays like Easter and Passover.
• Schools across the state will remain closed through the end of the academic year. Meals will still be available for pickup at designated sites, and teachers are encouraged to provide “continuity of education.”
• Wolf also announced that $50 million in state funding will be spent to purchase medical equipment and supplies for hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency workers.
• Wolf ordered the state Department of Corrections to establish a “Temporary Program to Reprieve Sentences of Incarceration,” which would release eligible non-violent and vulnerable individuals from the state corrections system starting as early as April 14. Those granted temporary reprieves would be equipped with reentry plans and monitored similarly to parolees.
• Wolf announced a $450 million loan program for “financially strained” hospitals in the state, for costs incurred between March 1 and September 1.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• Businesses that collect Pennsylvania state tax will not have to make Accelerated Sales Tax prepayments in April, May and June.
• The Department of Revenue extended the deadline to file state personal income tax returns to July 15, and delayed the due date for corporations with tax returns due in May to August 14. The department is offering additional temporary relief measures for taxpayers through at least July 15.
• Wolf announced the creation of a new Task Force for Health Disparity to address how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting the state’s minority populations.
• The Department of Health issued an order establishing stricter protocols for essential workers at businesses maintaining in-person operations.
• Wolf has recommended that all Pennsylvanians wear masks when outside the home.
• The Department of Human Services is issuing emergency SNAP benefits to eligible households for March and April, to be distributed as a supplemental one-time payment before April 29.
• Wolf announced his three-phase “Plan for Pennsylvania” on April 17, which emphasizes relief, reopening and recovery.
• On April 18, Wolf announced nearly $16 million in funding for Pennsylvania food banks.
• Wolf signed a bill on April 20 enabling auto dealerships to conduct limited car sales and leasing operations online. That same day, he permitted the curbside pickup of wine and spirits at certain Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board locations, and said construction projects may resume in adherence with strict guidelines on May 8.
• Wolf signed a bill helping local governments and businesses respond to the outbreak by providing flexibility on property tax deadlines and allowing remote public meetings and notarization.
• Wolf is encouraging registered voters to apply for mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary. They must do so by May 26, and the new deadline to register to vote for the primary is May 18.

Puerto Rico

• Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced announced a state of emergency and the activation of the National Guard on March 12. An executive order mandated an island-wide curfew — from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. — beginning March 15.
• The governor has since changed the curfew’s start time to 7:00 p.m. and extended it to May 3. The move does not affect business hours, which were established by executive order.
• Outside curfew hours, people may only leave their homes to buy food and medicine or go to the bank. Nonessential businesses remain closed, though hardware stores and car repair shops are now permitted to operate “twice a week on limited schedules.” Everyone must wear a mask when entering any business.
• The ACLU announced on April 5 it was seeking an injunction to block part of the curfew, calling some of its restrictions unconstitutional.
• People are allowed out of their homes to receive health care services and buy food supplies, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Supermarkets are not operating on Sundays.
• On April 8, Vázquez petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ban all flights from U.S. cities with large numbers of coronavirus cases. She specifically cited New York, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois.
• The governor signed an amendment making it illegal for media outlets or social media accounts “to transmit or allow the transmission” of “false information” relating to government proclamations or executive orders concerning COVID-19 or other disasters. This move has come under fire from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
• Puerto Rico postponed its presidential primary to April 26.
• Health Secretary Lorenzo González said on April 13 that health officials will distribute 200,000 rapid testing kits.
• Puerto Rico’s $787 million coronavirus relief package includes cash payments to small businesses, self-employed workers, nurses and other first responders.
• A U.S. federal judge suspended all eviction proceedings until May 30.
• Residents cannot have their power or water disconnected while the emergency decree is in effect.

Rhode Island

• Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered Rhode Island residents to stay at home “unless traveling to work, traveling for medical treatment or obtaining necessities.” She has extended this and other restrictions through May 8.
• Gatherings of more than five people are prohibited. Public recreation, entertainment and close-contact businesses are closed. Restaurants, bars and cafes are closed to dine-in service but can sell wine and beer with take-out orders.
• Anyone returning to the state from domestic or international travel, by any mode of transportation, must quarantine for 14 days.
• Schools are participating in distance learning through April.
• Raimondo has ordered that health insurance must cover telemedicine for primary care, specialty care and mental and behavioral health care.
• State parks and beaches are closed indefinitely, and all state-based customer services will remain online only. The DMV is open by appointment only and has suspended all road tests.
• Nursing homes and hospitals are not allowing visitors.
• Courts are closed for all nonessential business, “including residential and commercial evictions,” through May 17.
• Rhode Island’s primary election has been postponed to June 2, and will be conducted “predominantly by mail.”
• An April 9 executive order issues stricter self-quarantine and self-isolation rules for any who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or in close contact with a confirmed positive case. It also authorizes the health department to make and enforce additional rules, including through civil penalties. Raimondo said authorities could issue fines in “the hundreds of dollars range” to those who violate quarantine rules.
• Goldman Sachs, in partnership with Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and Community Reinvestment Fund has committed $10 million in loans to small businesses in the state.
• The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced on April 13 the creation of a multi-state council that will develop a regional framework for safely and gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and restoring the economy.
• Raimondo signed an executive order requiring client-facing businesses and nonprofits to provide face coverings to all employees, to be worn in the workplace with few exceptions. Businesses must also direct customers to wear face coverings. The order is effective April 18 for at least one month, and compliance will be monitored through Department of Business Regulation spot checks.
• An order mandating that regulated utilities cannot be shut off or sent to a collection agency has been extended through May 8.
• On April 20, Raimondo announced six key indicators for reopening the state’s economy.
• Rhode Island is issuing new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits to certain SNAP and non-SNAP households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals.
• The state is partnering with Brown University to provide more than 700 single-occupancy dormitory rooms to front line workers for free.

South Carolina

• Gov. Henry McMaster announced a statewide “home or work” order, effective April 7 at 5 p.m. The order requires South Carolinians to remain “at home or work unless visiting family, exercising or obtaining essential goods or services.”
• Entertainment venues, recreational and athletic facilities, close-contact service providers, retail stores and other nonessential businesses were ordered closed beginning April 6.
• McMaster also ordered all retail businesses still operating to limit the number of customers in one place at a time.
• An executive order has extended the state’s income tax deadline to July 15, in line with the new federal income tax deadline.
• The governor has ordered that travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Louisiana must self-quarantine for 14 days.
• McMaster issued an executive order allowing furloughed employees to qualify for unemployment benefits.
• An April 15 state of emergency declared in response to severe weather does not impact any coronavirus-related executive orders “in any way.”
• On April 20, McMaster announced the creation of “accelerateSC,” a five-component economic revitalization plan.
• McMaster issued an executive order removing restrictions on public access points to state’s beaches, piers, docks and wharfs while giving local officials the authority to restrict access if needed, effective April 21 at noon.
• The order also reopens certain retail stores beginning 5:00 p.m. on April 20, and requires them to adhere to strict social distancing requirements. Examples of operational retailers include furniture stores, clothing and shoe stores, book and craft stores, flea markets, florists and department stores except for hardware and home improvement stores.
• McMaster announced on April 22 that public K-12 schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

South Dakota

• South Dakota has no statewide stay-at-home order. Gov. Kristi Noem issued an executive order through May 31 that strengthens the language used to require South Dakotans to practice CDC-recommended hygiene practices and social distancing. It also orders businesses and local and municipal governments to restrict gatherings of 10 or more people, tells employers to encourage staff to telework and social distance, and requires health care organizations to postpone all nonessential elective surgeries.
• Noem also ordered adults over the age of 65, and anyone with certain underlying medical conditions, in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home. There are exceptions for critical infrastructure jobs and essential errands.
• Health care providers are instructed to postpone nonessential elective surgeries.
• Noem signed into law a bill that allows for injunctions to enforce directives or orders for the containment of a coronavirus respiratory syndrome.
• Elections to be held between April 14 and May 26 have been postponed.
• Requirements that students take national standardized tests have been waived.
• The state has created a small business economic disaster relief subfund that can make appropriations.
• On April 9, Noem extended her previous executive orders through May 31.
• Schools are ordered to remain closed and continue with “distance learning” through the end of the academic year.
• Noem signed an executive order removing barriers to licensure for health care professionals and expanding access to telehealth.
• After nearly 300 workers at the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls tested positive for COVID-19, Noem asked the company to temporarily suspend operations. Ken Sullivan, Smithfield’s CEO and president, announced on April 12 that the plant would shut down indefinitely. Noem is now working with the CDC and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to develop a plan for its reopening.
• Noem signed an executive order on April 20 giving hog producers temporarily flexibility in their operations.
• At an April 21 press conference, Noem encouraged people not to attend two upcoming auto races that had sold hundreds of tickets, but did not opt to take more restrictive action.

Tennessee

• Gov. Bill Lee issued a safer-at-home order that restricts discretionary travel beginning March 31 at 11:59 p.m. A stronger stay-at-home order requires Tennesseeans stay in their place of residence except for carrying out essential activities until April 30. Work-from-home orders for state employees are extended through the same period.
• Lee announced on April 20 that the “vast majority” of businesses in 89 of the state’s 95 counties will be allowed to reopen on May 1. He said some businesses may be able to open as soon as April 27.
• The deadline to file franchise and excise taxes has been delayed until July 15.
• The state is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to provide additional hospital beds if needed.
• Tennessee put out a call to displaced or furloughed health care workers to join its efforts.
• Lee said the state would follow federal guidelines that extend unemployment benefits to self-employed individuals through pandemic unemployment assistance.
• The state is distributing $200 million in grants to its county and city governments for one-time, local expenses in fiscal year 2021. Funding is based on population and will be made available after July 1.
• Lee announced that beginning April 18, free COVID-19 testing will be available for any Tennessean regardless of symptoms for three weekends. On April 20, Lee announced that more than 11,000 individuals had been tested in two days.
• Elective medical and dental procedures must be suspended until after April 30.
• Schools have been ordered closed for the remainder of the academic year. The commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education is convening a “COVID-19 Child Wellbeing Task Force” to support communities in caring for their students.
• Lee announced $10 million in grants to support small and rural hospitals under financial strain, and distributed the first round on April 20.

Texas

• Gov. Greg Abbot issued an executive order that directs Texans to minimize nonessential gatherings and in-person contact with people who are not in the same household, “except where necessary to provide or obtain essential services.” These restrictions are set to last through April 30.
• The order says people should “avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms or massage parlors,” but pickup and delivery food options are “highly encouraged.”
• The governor has announced 14-day self-quarantine orders for travelers from Tri-State airports in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, as well as from New Orleans, and those arriving by road from Louisiana.
• People are instructed not to visit nursing homes, retirement or long-term-care facilities “unless to provide critical assistance.”
• Abbott announced that public safety employees who contract COVID-19 during the course of their employment will be reimbursed for reasonable medical expenses related to their treatment of COVID-19.
• The state’s Comfort Food Care Package program will provide meals for at-risk youth and families. Each package contains enough food from participating restaurants to feed a family of 5 to 6 and will be delivered to recipients’ homes.
• SNAP and Medicaid benefit renewals currently due will be renewed automatically.
• Abbott has waived certain Housing and Urban Development requirements in order to use program funds for tenant rent relief.
• Abbott temporarily waived a series of regulations in order to expand telehealth services.
• Goldman Sachs, in partnership with the LiftFund and other community development financial institutions, is providing $50 million in loans to Texas small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19.
• Abbott announced on April 15 that his Public Safety Office will provide $38 million in federal emergency funding to local units of government.
• Public and private schools, as well as institutions of higher education, are closed for the rest of the academic year.
• On April 17, Abbott issued a set of executive orders to begin reopening Texas. Certain activities and services are permitted to reopen using a “Retail-To-Go” model, requiring delivery with minimal contact, beginning April 24. Elective surgeries are still restricted through May 8, but licensed health care professionals can make certain exceptions beginning April 22.
• State parks are open as of April 20. Visitors must wear face coverings, maintain six feet of distance from those outside of their party, and limit gatherings to no more than five people.
• The Texas National Guard is mobilizing more than 1,200 personnel as part of mobile testing teams that will expand access to COVID-19 testing statewide.
• Abbott said on April 21 that nearly 500,000 job openings are listed on WorkInTexas.com.

Utah

• On March 27, Gov. Gary Herbert issued a two-week “stay safe, stay home directive.” It is not a shelter-in-place order, but instructs Utahns to stay home whenever possible. Herbert has extended the directive through May 1.
• Businesses are requested to encourage employees to telecommute.
• Utah officials are requesting that people avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people.
• The state health department restricted non-urgent medical, dental and veterinary procedures.
• Herbert ordered a moratorium on residential evictions for certain tenants who have been directly impacted by COVID-19.
• Beginning April 10, individuals 18 and older entering Utah as their final destination must sign an electronic travel declaration form. This order applies to motorists and people flying into Salt Lake City International Airport, and will remain in effect until May 2.
• Herbert announced on April 9 that Utah’s National Parks had closed to the public.
• Herbert has instructed residents to wear homemade masks in public places.
• Restaurants must suspend in-house dining until the end of April, but takeout and delivery are encouraged.
• Public and charter schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year.
• On April 17, Herbert announced a second version of the Utah Leads Together plan, a three-phase pathway to reactivating the economy. While Utah is still in the urgent phase of its coordinated response, he anticipates moving into the stabilization phase by early May. Herbert said he hopes to reopen some in-house dining, elective surgeries and gyms by then, depending on adherence to the “stay safe, stay home” directive.
• Also as of April 17, Utah’s state parks are open to all except those under local health order restrictions.
• The Utah Department of Health issued an updated public health order on April 21 allowing for the resumption of some elective procedures, in accordance with guidelines still being developed.

Vermont

• Gov. Phil Scott issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order effective March 25, which directs Vermonters to leave their residences only for essential reasons and to adhere to social distancing policies while in public. That order and all measures associated with the state of emergency have been extended through May 15.
• All businesses and not-for-profit entities, unless exempted, must suspend in-person operations. Bars and restaurants may operate only for takeout or delivery.
• The governor has restricted nonessential gatherings to 10 people or less.
• All public and independent schools are closed for in-person instruction until the end of the academic year.
• Scott issued an executive order on March 30 that directs residents and non-residents coming from outside the state for anything other than an essential purpose to home-quarantine for 14 days and strongly discourages travel to the state by people from COVID-19 “hot spots.”
• Lodging facilities – including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, short term rentals, Airbnbs, and all public and private camping facilities and RV parks – “are to be closed except for stated exemptions when supporting the state’s COVID-19 response.”
• Scott announced on April 7 that he had submitted a letter to President Trump requesting federal disaster funds and the authority and funding to activate additional Vermont National Guard personnel.
• State health officials are recommending Vermonters wear cloth face coverings when outside of the home.
• Income tax filing due dates for state personal and corporate income tax have been moved to July 15.
• Commercial insurers are ordered to waive cost-sharing requirements like co-payments and deductible requirements for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. The emergency regulation, announced April 15, applies retroactively from March 13.
• The Department of Public Service is working with several businesses to increase internet access by installing public WiFi hot spots in rural towns across the state.
• On April 17, Scott announced principles and safety precautions for a “phased restart” of the state’s economy beginning during the stay-at-home order. Scott ordered new health and safety requirements and directed the public to wear cloth face coverings.
• The Agency of Commerce and Community Development has issued guidance authorizing certain outdoor businesses, construction operations and professional services to operate if they can meet specific safety requirements, beginning April 20.
• More than 40 auto insurance companies — Vermont-based as well as major out-of-state insurers — have filed plans to either return premiums or reduce rates for Vermont policyholders, providing relief “in the range of 15-20% for a period of two or three months.”
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Virginia

• On March 30, Northam issued a statewide stay-at-home order, effective immediately, lasting until June 10.
• The stay-at-home order says individuals may leave their residence for allowable travel, including to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members, pick up groceries and prescriptions and engage in outdoor activity with strict social distancing requirements.
• Only essential businesses are permitted to operate. Restaurants, bars and other dining services may only offer delivery and takeout. The shutdown order for nonessential business has been extended through May 8.
• Northam recommended Virginians wear cloth face coverings when out in public. While wearing face coverings is technically illegal in the state, Northam said at an April 6 press briefing that “no citations will be written for wearing protective masks.”
• All K-12 schools are closed until the end of the academic year.
• Northam announced that the Department of Education’s online learning system, “Virtual Virginia,” has been expanded to enable all public school teachers to host virtual classes through June 30.
• To conserve personal protective equipment, all hospitals have been directed to stop performing elective surgeries or procedures.
• Northam moved the state’s primary elections from June 9 to June 23. He has asked the General Assembly to postpone the May General Election and special elections, initially set for May 5, to November 3.
• Indoor and outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.
• Northam and the state health department are calling for additional medical and non-medical volunteers to join the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps.
• A $70 million grant from the federal CARES Act will be used to increase the availability of child care services for essential personnel.
• Northam signed an executive order increasing the eligibility of nurse practitioners, out-of-state doctors and medical students to participate in Virginia’s response to the coronavirus. It also allows for the expanded use of telehealth.
• In March, Northam issued recommendations to criminal justice officials aimed at decreasing the state’s jail population. On April 17, he announced significant reductions in the state’s jail population and new commitments for misdemeanors.
• The state is receiving FEMA funding to provide hotel housing for first responders and essential personnel.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Washington

• On March 23, Gov. Jay Inslee issued an order requiring “every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity.” The “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order also closes all nonessential businesses and bans all gatherings for “social, spiritual and recreational purposes.” It has been extended through May 4.
• All gatherings for “social, spiritual and recreational purposes” have been banned.
• All K-12 public and private schools in the state will remain closed through the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.
• School facilities may still be used for necessary in-person services like preparation of food service and child care, provided they follow public health guidelines.
• The state has created a grant fund for small businesses, using a portion of the state’s Strategic Reserve Fund.
• Inslee, in partnership with nonprofits and local philanthropies, announced the launch of the WA Food Fund on April 7. The relief fund will work to meet increasingly high demand at food banks across the state.
• The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the Western States Pact on April 13. The framework offers principles and goals for a shared approach to reopening states’ economies.
• Inslee announced on April 13 that the Department of Corrections would implement strategies for reducing the state’s prison population, starting by focusing on the early release of vulnerable individuals through commutation and modified reentry programs. Two days later, he issued proclamation and commutation orders releasing certain eligible inmates ahead of their original release dates on or before June 29.
• Inslee issued a proclamation extending certain rights and safeguards to high-risk workers so that they can protect themselves against COVID-19 without jeopardizing their employment status.
• Three proclamations issued April 14 suspend certain criminal statutes of limitations, streamline the renewal of commercial driver licenses and learner permits, and protect consumer assets from debt collection.
• Inslee expanded protections for renters in an April 16 proclamation, extending his initial moratorium on evictions through June 4 and adding new provisions. The moratorium now covers hotels, motels, Airbnb rentals, public campgrounds and other transitional housing. Landlords are prohibited from raising rents, charging late fees and making threats.
• State lands and boat ramps are closed through May 4. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is delaying recreational fishing, shellfish harvesting, and spring turkey and bear hunting seasons.
• An expanded proclamation prohibits energy, water and landline phone providers from disconnecting residential customers due to nonpayment, refusing to connect those who were previously disconnected due to nonpayment, and charging late fees through May 4. It does not relieve customers from their obligation to pay utility bills.
• On April 21, Inslee announced “Washington’s Recovery Plan,” a framework for the loosening of restrictions and gradual return to public life, contingent on slowing the spread of COVID-19.
• A multi-state initiative will expand payment relief for people with private and non-federal student loans, which are not covered by the CARES Act. The agreement expands protections to student loan borrowers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

West Virginia

• Gov. Jim Justice issued a stay-at-home order, “directing all West Virginia residents to stay at home and limit movements outside of their homes beyond essential needs.” The order will remain in place indefinitely.
• The order allows people to pick up essentials such as groceries and medicine; people can also exercise outside while maintaining a 6-foot distance from each other and “care for or support a friend or family member.”
• Justice is directing people not to visit loved ones in hospitals or nursing homes.
• All child care sites except those serving parents working in “essential” jobs are ordered closed.
• Justice announced a month of free fishing for state residents, waiving the requirement for a fishing license to fish in state-regulated waters. Anglers must practice social distancing.
• The governor issued an executive order on March 30 requiring travelers from area “with substantial community spread” to quarantine for 14 days. He also closed state park campgrounds.
• The state has delayed primary elections, moving them from May 12 to June 9. The accompanying state holiday has been moved accordingly.
• President Trump granted Justice’s request for a major disaster declaration for the state on April 3, making available federal funding for emergency protective measures.
• Justice issued an executive order requiring that all private and public golf courses follow proper cleaning protocols and enforce social distancing measures, including limiting one individual per golf cart for people who don’t live together.
• Every West Virginia county received a $100,000 grant for purposes of awarding “hero pay” to first responders and front line personnel.
• The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources will issue a one-time $500 payment to current recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
• Justice signed an executive order requiring the West Virginia Division of Health and Human Resources to “test or re-test” all workers and residents at every nursing home in the state.
• An April 21 executive order outlines the process for hospitals across the state to apply to the Department of Health and Human Resources to resume elective procedures. The earliest procedures can begin again is April 28.
• Justice announced on April 21 that schools will remain closed to in-person classes for the rest of the academic year.
• The West Virginia Department of Education’s Graduation Task Force will address high school seniors’ graduations and transitions onward.
• Justice and the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources launched a free smartphone app with resources for individuals recovering from substance use disorder.

Wisconsin

• Gov. Tony Evers has extended the statewide stay-at-home order through the morning of May 26. Residents must stay at their place of residence with the exception of essential activities, and maintain six feet of distance from others. All public or private gatherings of people who are not part of the same living unit are prohibited.
• The renewed order takes effect on April 24. It extends most earlier provisions while introducing additional safety measures for businesses and approving certain activities, like golfing and exterior work. Nonessential businesses are newly permitted to offer services like delivery and curbside pickup as part of “minimum basic operations.” Retail stores remaining open as essential businesses must implement specific social distancing measures and increase sanitation practices.
• Public and private K-12 schools are closed to in-person instruction and extracurricular activities for the remainder of the academic year.
• The order is punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment or a fine of up to $250 or both.
• Evictions and foreclosures in the state were ordered suspended on March 27. Certain licensing requirements for health care workers were also suspended.
• Two state-operated voluntary self-isolation facilities will open in Madison and Milwaukee.
• Evers issued an executive order on April 6, a day before the state’s primary election was set to take place, delaying in-person voting to June 9. State Republicans immediately challenged it in Wisconsin Supreme Court, which blocked the delay. That night, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state could not accept absentee ballots postmarked after its voting day, reversing a lower court decision that would have given Wisconsinites six extra days to vote by mail.
• While religious institutions are considered essential under the stay-at-home order, they must still abide by the 10-person limit. Evers issued guidance encouraging houses of worship to conduct services online, in parking lots with congregants in their cars, or shifts of small groups.
• The Department of Natural Resources closed 40 state parks, forests and recreational areas “until further notice.”
• The state is seeking active and retired health care professionals, as well as individuals who wish to help in non-clinical support positions, to volunteer for the new Wisconsin Emergency Assistance Volunteer Registry.
• The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin announced on April 16 that they will work in close coordination to safely reopen Midwestern states.
• Evers announced the “Badger Bounce Back” plan on April 20. The plan outlines phases and criteria for the incremental reopening of Wisconsin’s economy.
• Republican state legislators have sued to strike down the stay-at-home order, a move Evers decried as “shameful.”

Wyoming

• Wyoming has not enacted a statewide stay-at-home order, though Gov. Mark Gordon issued a plea on March 25 for “citizens to stay home whenever possible, only going out when absolutely necessary.”
• On April 3, Gordon extended existing statewide health orders through April 30, and issued a directive requiring any individual entering Wyoming from outside of the state to self-quarantine for 14 days.
• Wyoming’s Department of Health issued an order to close restaurants and bars, except for takeout, along with theaters, gyms, child care facilities, K-12 schools, colleges, universities and trade schools in the state.
• Gatherings of 10 people or more in a single room or confined space, including outdoors, are prohibited.
• Camping facilities in state parks have been closed until further notice.
• Gordon has requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government.
• Wyoming Democrats will be conducting their presidential preference caucus entirely by mail. Voters must have registered Democrat by March 20 to be eligible, and ballots must have been received by April 17.
• Gordon directed state agencies to institute position freezes, halt general fund contracts larger than $100,000 and implement a “rigorous review of major maintenance spending” to prepare for COVID-19 budget impacts.
• The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is suspending sales of nonresident daily and five day fishing licenses.

This is a developing story. We will continue to update as new information becomes available.

NPR’s Brakkton Booker, Merrit Kennedy, Vanessa Romo, Colin Dwyer, Laurel Wamsley, Aubri Juhasz and Bobby Allyn contributed to this report.