Here's What You Can Do Under VA's Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a state-at-home order Monday for residents to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. The order went into effect Monday and lasts until June 10, unless changed or rescinded by another executive order.

Northam said he issued the order — Exeuctive Order No. 55 — after he noticed that Virginians were congregating on beaches and gathering in parks over the weekend. Leaders of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. also want to maintain uniform regional policies to fight the spread of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. Like Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. also issued stay-at-home orders on Monday.

Local police will be focusing on breaking up gatherings of 1o or more people. Residents also are encouraged to contact the police if they see stores or other establishments not enforcing social distancing or limiting their customer counts to 10 or fewer people.

Residents do not need to carry a document explaining why they are out in public. Northam also said he does not intend to have authorities stop people walking down the street to ask whether they are on authorized business.

But Northam noted that people who violate his previous ban on gatherings of 10 or more people, or his closure of beaches and campgrounds, could be punished by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 or both.

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While Northam wants everyone in Virginia to stay home to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, there are certain exceptions where residents can leave their homes, such as:

• Getting food, beverages, goods and other essential services.
• Obtaining medical care that cannot be provided through telehealth.
• Traveling to and from work.
• Walking a dog.
• Taking care of other persons or care of animals.
• Traveling required by court order or to facilitate child custody, visitation, or child care.
• Visiting a relative.
• Traveling to and from an educational institution.
• Traveling to and from a place of worship.
• Volunteering with a group providing charitable or social services.
• Exercising outdoors as long as you practice social distancing.

At his press briefing Monday, Northam instructed Virginians to wait until they need several items before visiting a store. Don't go inside a store just to buy one thing, he said.

Similar to the order he released last week — Executive Order No. 53 — Northam said nothing in Monday's order limits access to health care or medical services; access to essential services for low-income residents, such as food banks; the operation of the media; law enforcement activities; and the operation of government.

If someone wants to go to the drive-thru at the local Burger King or purchase a Big Gulp at a 7-Eleven, nothing in the new executive order prevents residents from making these trips. But Northam said he would prefer that people simply stay home and only make occasional trips to the store to pick up a large number of items or use delivery services to purchase their groceries.

Furthermore, Virginia has not banned interstate travel or closed roads and highways, but Northam said people who leave the state, particularly to visit areas where there is severe community spread, should self-quarantine for 14 days upon return to Virginia.

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