President Trump insists he won’t issue a nationwide lockdown to halt the coronavirus. But it may be just a matter of time before virtually every American is living in an area with a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order.
By the day — by the hour, even — more state and local officials are ordering people to stay at home except for activities deemed essential, such as buying food and medicine. The governors of Ohio and Louisiana issued stay-at-home orders yesterday, joining New York, California, Illinois, Connecticut and Oregon in trying to more strictly limit the movement of people around their communities. The mayors of St. Louis and Kansas City both announced stay-at-home orders over the weekend.
All told, nearly 100 million Americans now live in an area where they could be fined for gathering with large groups of people or keeping open a business such as a hair salon or dine-in restaurant.