To further combat the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Mike Parson on Friday directed Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams to issue a stay-at-home order which is effective from April 6-24.
This order directs all Missourians to avoid leaving their residences unless necessary and to practice social distancing when they need to travel outside their homes to work, access foods, prescriptions, health care and other necessities or to engage in an outdoor activity. This order does not require all businesses statewide to close or cease operation.
Examples of acceptable activities under this order include:
• Go to grocery, convenience, or warehouse stores.
• Go to the pharmacy to pick up medications and other healthcare necessities.
• Go to medical appointments (check with doctor or provider first).
• Go to a restaurant for take-out, delivery or drive-thru service.
• Go to a place of worship — no more than 10 people in any single space at one time; six feet of distance to be kept between people.
• Take a walk, ride a bike, hike, fish, hunt, golf and be in nature for exercise — six feet of distance to be kept between people.
• Receive deliveries from any business which delivers.
Individuals shall not do the following things:
• Visit state office buildings that are closed to the public.
• Stand closer than six feet of distance from others.
• Visit loved ones in nursing homes, long term care facilities and assisted living homes unless providing critical assistance.
Frequently asked questions with answers provided by DHSS:
Do work places that do not qualify as “essential” businesses have to close?
No. Businesses that are not covered by the guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) discussed in the order may remain open but must comply with the social gathering and social distance requirements. This means that no more than 10 individuals can occupy a single space, including both employees and customers.
Individuals must also maintain at least six feet of distance between themselves and others. Employees must practice good hygiene and sanitation to limit the spread of COVID-19. Businesses are also encouraged to allow individuals, when feasible, to work from home to achieve optimum isolation.
Businesses can seek a waiver of the social gathering requirements from the Director of the Department of Economic Development.
What businesses are “essential” under this order?
The order refers businesses to guidance by CISA to assist them in determining whether the work their employees do is considered “essential” during the COVID-19 response period.
Some examples include but are not limited to: healthcare workers and caregivers; law enforcement, firefighters and first responders; government operations; mental health and social service workers; pharmacy employees; workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail sales of food and beverage products; restaurant carryout and quick-serve food operations and food delivery employees; farmworkers; electricity and utility industry employees; critical manufacturing employees (medical supply chains, energy, transportation, food, chemicals); petroleum, natural and propane gas workers; transportation and logistics workers; and communications and information technology employees.
Workplaces that qualify as essential under the guidance may remain open. Workers onsite should take all necessary precautions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, including practicing social distancing except when performance of job duties require otherwise.
Are there restrictions on essential businesses?
Yes. Workplaces that qualify as essential under CISA guidelines and are engaged in retail sales to the public must limit the number of customers in each retail location to the following standards based on the workplace’s fire or building code occupancy:
For smaller locations (less than 10,000 square feet), businesses must maintain 25 percent or less of the authorized occupancy;
For larger locations (10,000 square feet or greater), businesses must maintain 10 percent or less of the authorized occupancy.
Employees at the workplace and vendors delivering products into the store are not included in this calculation and do not count toward occupancy limitations.
Are grocery stores considered a business “engaged in retail sales to the public”?
Yes, and such store is subject to the occupancy limitations in the order.
Grocery stores are strongly encouraged to set aside hours — outside of regular store hours — to allow third-party grocery delivery services to provide grocery shopping services for their customers. This will allow individual shoppers to shop during regular store hours and reduce congestion during such times. This will further allow such services to function in an environment where their services may be in excessive demand.
Shoppers at all retail stores are also encouraged, when possible, to limit the number of people shopping in stores to one person per household at any one time. This will better enable all families to access necessary goods in grocery stores and further reduce the number of individuals necessary to access such goods.
Can childcare places continue operations?
Yes. Daycares, child care providers or schools providing child care for working families can continue operations but should follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance targeted for those operations.
Do restaurants have to close?
No. Restaurants can be open for delivery, drive-thru or carryout services as long as the other requirements of the order are being followed and individuals are encouraged to use those options. Restaurants may provide dine-in services but can only have 10 people or less within the restaurant for dining service and shall maintain at least six feet of distance between all individuals that are not family members. The 10-person limitation includes both employees and customers together.
For more information regarding COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and the DHSS website at www.health.mo.gov/coronavirus.
