Here’s how your life will (and won’t) change under coronavirus stay-at-home order
On Monday at 5 p.m., North Carolina starts a new life under stay-at-home restrictions, rules that Wake, Durham and Orange counties already follow.
So what does this mean? Can I still get groceries, go jogging, buy a book, change my oil? Yes, yes, yes and yes. But it’s complicated. Here is a breakdown of how Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement will change your routine.
▪ Food. Grocery sales are considered essential business and all stores that sell them can remain open, though social-distancing space is urged while shopping. Cooper’s order allows for farmers’ markets and produce stands.
▪ Medicine. Pharmacies can stay open and prescriptions can be picked up. Doctors’ office visits are all OK, though many have already advised “telemedicine” rather than office visits for non-emergencies. Durham Mayor Steve Schewel said many dentists’ offices have halted routine cleanings but emergency oral care is allowed.
▪ Restaurants. Food establishments can remain open for take-out orders and delivery only.
▪ Transportation. Gas stations can operate along with any auto supply stores or mechanics. Bicycles are also considered critical transportation. Airlines, taxis and other ride services will still work.
▪ Recreation. Team and contact sports are prohibited. No basketball on public courts. Walking, hiking and running are encouraged, but be mindful of social spacing. Golf courses and tennis courts can operate as long as social distance is kept.
▪ Business. Any business deemed essential can stay open, including any of those mentioned above. Also banks, hardware stores, building and construction, mail delivery, food and other retail delivery, laundry, hotels and funeral service. Buying a new book is OK if the store is educational, otherwise shop online.
Businesses are allowed to keep minimum staff on the premises as necessary for inventory or payroll, but most should stay at home.
How do you know if you’re essential? Ask the mayor: Steve.Schewel@durhamnc.gov. Or in Wake County, call the help line at (919) 856-7420.
▪ Pets. Veterinarians are allowed but Durham Mayor Steve Schewel said no groomers.
▪ Professional services. Those considered critical, such as work by attorneys and accountants, are allowed but services provided by phone or computer are preferred. Real estate is limited to brokerage, appraisals and titles.
▪ ABC stores. Open as an exempt government office.
▪ Gun stores. Not deemed essential in Wake.
▪ Entertainment. Movie theaters, auditoriums, arenas, amusement parks and playground equipment are already off-limits. Public gatherings with fewer than 10 people are permitted statewide as long as necessary space is left between people. Schewel invited poets and musicians to give daily public performances and readings online. In Wake County, County Manager David Ellis said gatherings are limited to immediate family.
“Our civic duty is to stay at home,” Wake commissioners Chairman Greg Ford said in a Thursday press conference. “Isolating ourselves is not our nature. But it is exactly what we need to do to suppress the virus.”
▪ What happens if I don’t? Durham’s order is legally enforceable, Schewel said. Nobody is going to get cited or arrested unless they persistently flout the law. But police can ask people to disperse. Wake Sheriff Gerald Baker said deputies will be patrolling and will ask people politely to go home unless they need to be out. “There shouldn’t be much traffic out there,” he said.
▪ How can I help? Send a check to a friend or relative who is out of work. Offer to buy groceries for an elderly or vulnerable neighbor.
This is not a “shelter-in-place” order, which Schewel said can be associated with an active shooter and can “engender fear.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Here’s how your life will (and won’t) change under coronavirus stay-at-home order."