Just The Essentials: What CAN You Do Under Statewide Stay-at-Home Order?

RALEIGH – Governor Roy Cooper followed a predictable pattern in progressively shutting down the State of North Carolina, and encouraging local action, before taking the step to issue a ‘Stay-at-Home’ decree in reaction to coronavirus fears. The president, too, has just extended social distancing guidelines through April 30.

Many North Carolinians have already been subject to such shelter-in-place orders at the local level, but it will hit all of North Carolina at 5:00 PM Monday, March 30. Arrests were made in Greensboro when some pro-life advocates were arrested for breaking the city’s social distancing mandates by praying outside an abortion clinic (at a safe distance).

So what CAN you do? Well, the list of essential activity for which the State will ALLOW you to leave your home is essential information if you want to maintain some semblance of sanity during this lockdown. If it isn’t for these activities, the State doesn’t want you to leave your house, and the State will charge you with a crime for disobeying.

From ABC11:

Health and Safety

Residents can complete tasks essential to their health and safety or the health and safety or their family or household members, including pets:

• • • Seek emergency services
    • Obtain medical supplies or medication
    • Visit a health care professional or veterinarian

Necessary Supplies

Residents can obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves or family and household members or deliver those services to others, including:

• • • Groceries and food
    • Household consumer products
    • Supplies they need to work from home
    • Automobile supplies
    • Products necessary to maintain the safety and sanitation of residences or essential businesses

Outdoor Activity

Social distancing and mass gathering guidelines must be followed. People must stay at least six feet apart and cannot gather in groups of more than 10 people.

• • • Walking
    • Hiking
    • Running
    • Golfing
    • Biking
    • Going to public parks or outdoor recreation areas, except public playgrounds, which are closed

For Work at Essential Businesses

• • • Healthcare and public health operations
    • Human services operations
    • Essential government operations
    • Essential infrastructure operations
    • Click here for a full list of essential businesses

To Take Care of Others

• • • Care for or assist a family member, friend or pet in another household
    • Transport family members, friends or pets
    • Weddings, as long as social distancing and mass gathering guidelines are met
    • Funerals, as long as social distancing and mass gathering guidelines are met

Other Activities

• • • Travel to and from a place of worship
    • Receive goods and services provided by an essential business
    • Travel to and from home for child custody or visitation arrangements
    • Volunteer with organizations providing social services

The order also urges the homeless to ‘find shelter.’

A violation of Cooper’s stay-at-home order — meaning leaving your home for any unapproved reason — carries a Class 2 Misdemeanor charge for up to $1000 fine and 60 days in jail.

The Wuhan Virus is currently projected to infect 0.8 percent of the North Carolina population, and kill 0.017 percent of the state.