Missouri coronavirus stay-at-home order starts Monday, governor says

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Missouri’s governor announced a statewide stay-at-home coronavirus order Friday, leaving only a handful of states without one.

Gov. Mike Parson’s order, which takes effect Monday, says Missourians should avoid leaving their homes except for essential activities like work, food or medical care. Restaurants may stay open if they offer takeout or delivery and schools have been ordered to close, FOX 2 in St. Louis reported.

The order allows nonessential businesses to stay open as long as they adhere to social distancing requirements, according to the Kansas City Star.

The governor's March 21 order banning gatherings of more than 10 people will remain in place.

A man crosses an empty street Friday, April 3, 2020 in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The city is under a stay-at-home order, asking everyone to stay inside and away from others as much as possible, in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. (Associated Press)

Alabama joins states under coronavirus stay-at-home order

“There comes a time when we have to make major sacrifices in our lives. Many of us make sacrifices each and every day, but now more than ever, we must all make sacrifices,” the governor said in a news conference Friday.

Parson had resisted such an order for weeks, opting to leave enforcement to the local level. Most of St. Louis and Kansas City areas, Springfield and Columbia are already under local stay-at-home orders, according to FOX 4 in Kansas City.

“This power is something I think should be rare for government to ever take advantage of,” he said, according to FOX 2. “For the sake of all Missourians, be smart, be responsible, and follow this order. Stay at home, Missouri."

By Saturday evening, Missouri had nearly 2,300 cases and 24 deaths, according to FOX 4.

After Parson announced the order, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted, Kansas City’s order “adds additional limits and prohibitions to non-essential activity,” which will remain in effect, The Star reported.

The statewide order ends Friday, April 24.

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By Saturday, only Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming had no stay-at-home orders in effect.