States that did not issue stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Seven states—Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming—did not issue orders directing residents to stay at home from nonessential activities in March and April 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The 43 other states all issued orders at the state level directing residents to stay at home except for essential activities and closing businesses that each state deemed nonessential.[1] Read more about those stay-at-home orders here.
Only one of the seven states that did not issue a stay-at-home order did not require any businesses to close: South Dakota. All seven states also closed schools to in-person instruction.
Click here to see the states that issued lockdown and stay-at-home orders.
To read more about the current status of lockdown and stay-at-home orders across the country, click here. To read more about the states whose governors did issue stay-at-home orders, click here.
This page summarizes the restrictions on citizen activities and required business closures issued by the seven states that did not issue a stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus. In this article, you will find:
Closures and restrictions by state
Arkansas
What was closed or restricted?
In Arkansas, the following businesses were closed indefinitely via an executive order issued by Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on April 4, 2020:[2][3]
- Restaurant dining rooms
- Bars
- Gyms
- Bowling alleys, trampoline parks, and other indoor amusement centers
- Salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, body art schools, cosmetology establishments, massage therapy clinics/spas, medical spas
- Casinos
The following businesses were allowed to remain open subject to additional requirements:[3]
- Manufacturing companies operating at limited capacity and with required social distancing and cleaning protocols
- Essential retail businesses providing contactless payment systems
- Commercial lodging and short-term rentals only for the occupancy of essential personnel (healthcare, first responders, law enforcement, airline crew, etc.)
- Places of worship operating with limited interpersonal contact and social distancing protocols
- Construction companies operating with limited interpersonal contact and social distancing protocols
- Parks, trails, athletic fields and courts, parking lots, golf courses, and driving ranges where social distancing could be easily maintained
Schools in the state were initially closed to in-person instruction on March 15. On April 6, Hutchinson closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Hutchinson released a plan for a phased reopening of businesses on May 1. To read more about that plan, click here.
Iowa
What was closed or restricted?
On March 20, 2020, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed an executive order limiting gatherings and events to fewer than 10 people. The order also closed the following businesses:[4]
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Fitness centers
- Theaters
- Casinos and gaming facilities
On April 6, Reynolds signed another executive order closing the following businesses:[5]
- Malls
- Tobacco or vaping stores
- Toy, gaming, music, instrument, movie, or adult entertainment stores
- Social and fraternal clubs, including those at golf courses
- Bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls, arcades, and amusement parks
- Museums, libraries, aquariums, and zoos
- Race tracks and speedways
- Roller or ice skating rinks and skate parks
- Outdoor or indoor playgrounds or children’s play centers
- Campgrounds
- Unsolicited door-to-door sales
Schools in the state were initially closed to in-person instruction on March 15. On April 30, Reynolds closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Iowa began a phased reopening of businesses on May 1. To read more about that plan, click here.
Nebraska
What was closed or restricted?
In Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) issued a Directed Health Measure on April 3 that limited public gatherings to 10 people and closed the following businesses and activities:[6]
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Elective medical and dental surgeries
On April 9, Gov. Ricketts issued a Directed Health Measure that closed the following businesses and activities:[7]
- Beauty/nail salons
- Barbershops
- Massage therapy services
- Gentlemen’s clubs
- Bottle clubs
- Indoor theaters
- Tattoo parlors/studios
- Organized team sports, youth and adult, including but not limited to club sports
- Auto racing
On April 1, 2020, Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) first ordered schools to operate without students through May 31, which was a date after the school year was scheduled to end. To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Nebraska began a phased reopening on May 4. To read more about reopenings in the state, click here.
North Dakota
What was closed or restricted?
On March 27, 2020, Gov. Doug Burgum (R) issued an executive order that closed the following businesses:[8]
- Restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes, and similar onsite dining establishments, open for delivery or curbside pickup only
- Recreational facilities, health clubs, athletic facilities and theaters, including movie, music or entertainment venues
- Cosmetologists, including estheticians and manicurists salons, barbers and barbershops
- Personal care services, including tattoo and body art, tanning, massage facilities, and individual massage therapists
- Access to state facilities by appointment only
On March 15, 2020, Burgum first ordered schools to close on March 16. That order was extended indefinitely on March 19.[9][10] North Dakota schools were allowed to reopen beginning June 1.[11] To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
North Dakota released a plan for a phased reopening of businesses on May 1. To read more about that plan, click here.
South Dakota
Gov. Kristi Noem (R) did not order businesses to close.[12] Instead, Noem provided recommendations for businesses to follow in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Noem did not issue a statewide stay-at-home order and said that individuals could decide “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.”[13] Noem did issue an executive order telling individuals who are over 65 or have chronic health conditions to stay home in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, the two counties with the most positive coronavirus cases.[14] When the mayor of Sioux Falls asked Noem to issue a stay-at-home order for his city, she denied the request but said that local officials could pursue implementing an order if they wanted to.[15]
What recommendations did the governor make?
In an executive order signed on March 23, Noem gave the following recommendations to businesses:[16]
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Schools in the state were initially closed to in-person instruction on March 17. On April 6, Noem closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Utah
What was closed or restricted?
On March 18, Gov. Gary Herbert (R) issued a public health order that limited gatherings to no more than 10 people and prohibited restaurants and bars from offering dine-in services. On March 26, 2020, Herbert issued a "Stay Safe, Stay Home," directive asking residents to stay home whenever possible and included instructions for all individuals, children, and those vulnerable to the disease regarding hygiene, gatherings, travel, and outdoor recreation. The directive also instructed businesses that remained open to comply with public health orders, offer telework options when possible, follow strict hygiene policies, and implement social distancing measures. Herbert also closed certain nonessential businesses, such as gyms, salons, and in-restaurant dining.[18][19]
The following businesses were closed in Utah:
- In-restaurant dining
- Gatherings are limited to 10
- Gyms
- Salons
On March 13, 2020, Herbert first ordered schools to close on March 16. That order was extended on March 23 and April 14 before being extended for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.[20][21][22] To read more about school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
Utah released a plan for a phased reopening of businesses. On April 29, 2020, Herbert issued an executive order placing the state under the "moderate risk" protocols of the Utah Leads Together Plan effective on May 1. To read more about that plan, click here.
Wyoming
What was closed or restricted?
Governor Mark Gordon (R) first ordered the closure of nonessential businesses on March 20, 2020. He subsequently extended the order, which was originally scheduled to expire on April 3, 2020, to last through April 30, 2020.[23][24][25]
The following businesses were closed in Wyoming:
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Wyoming schools were closed through May 15. On March 15, 2020, Gordon first recommended that schools close. On March 20, 2020, Gordon ordered all schools to close through April 3, 2020. That order was subsequently extended to last through May 15.[26][27][28]
Wyoming released a reopening plan that began May 1. To read more about that plan, click here.
General resources
The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.
Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
- Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
- Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)
See also
- Ballotpedia: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
- Changes to ballot measure campaigns, procedures, and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2022
- Federal Politics
- State Politics
- Local Politics
Footnotes
- ↑ State officials designated businesses as essential and nonessential. Many states followed guidance released by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on March 19, 2020. You can read more about that guidance here.
- ↑ Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "Arkansas governor orders gyms, restaurant dining rooms, bars closed," March 20, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Governor of Arkansas, "Executive Order 20-13," accessed May 1, 2020
- ↑ Governor of Iowa, "Gov. Reynolds issues a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency," March 17, 2020
- ↑ Governor of Iowa, "Gov. Reynolds signs new proclamation continuing State Public Health Emergency Declaration, ordering additional closures," April 6, 2020
- ↑ Office of Governor Pete Ricketts, "Gov. Ricketts Announces Directed Health Measure for Remaining Counties, Asks Nebraskans to Further Limit Social Interactions," April 3, 2020
- ↑ Office of Governor Pete Ricketts, "Gov. Ricketts Adds Additional Businesses to State’s Directed Health Measure," April 9, 2020
- ↑ Governor Doug Burgum, "Executive Order 2020-06.1," March 27, 2020
- ↑ KXNet, "K-12 Schools in North Dakota to remain closed," March 19, 2020
- ↑ The Bismarck Tribune, "Governor orders K-12 schools shut down due to coronavirus threat," March 15, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "North Dakota to reopen school facilities for summer programs," May 12, 2020
- ↑ Insurance Journal, "South Dakota’s Noem Allows Businesses to Stay Open but Backs Limit on Group Size," April 8, 2020
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "South Dakota vs. Coronavirus," April 15, 2020
- ↑ KTIV, "Gov. Noem extends vulnerable population stay-at-home order for Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties," April 24, 2020
- ↑ Sioux Falls Business, "Noem will not issue stay-at-home order in Sioux Falls area," May 5, 2020
- ↑ Governor of South Dakota, "Executive Order 2020-08," accessed May 5, 2020
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Governor Gary R. Herbert, "GOVERNOR ISSUES “STAY SAFE, STAY HOME” DIRECTIVE," March 26, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah orders restaurants, bars to close all dining to curb coronavirus," March 17, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah K-12 schools dismissed for a two-week ‘soft closure’ due to coronavirus," March 13, 2020
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Gov. Herbert says Utah schools will extend closure until May 1," March 23, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah K-12 schools will remain closed through academic year due to coronavirus," April 14, 2020
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Wyoming, "Governor Gordon and State Health Officer issue statewide closure order for public spaces," March 20, 2020
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Wyoming, "Governor, State Health Officer extend statewide Public Health Orders through April 30," accessed April 30, 2020
- ↑ KULR 8, "Wyoming governor authorizes reopening of gyms, personal care services under new health orders," April 28, 2020
- ↑ Casper Star-Tribune, "Details murky after coronavirus prompts nearly all Wyoming school districts to close," March 16, 2020
- ↑ Governor of Wyoming, "Governor Gordon and State Health Officer issue statewide closure order for public spaces," March 20, 2020
- ↑ KTVQ, "Wyoming extends closures of schools, businesses until April 17," March 27, 2020
Footnotes
