Not one size fits all: Different states and cities varied in their pandemic responses

Maryland

-On March 5, Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland after the first three cases of the coronavirus were reported in the state. On March 12, Hogan directed senior centers to close and prohibited gatherings of more than 250 people. He closed the cruise ship terminal at the Port of Baltimore and activated the National Guard. Hogan also ordered all schools to close for two weeks.

-On March 16, Hogan ordered sweeping restrictions on Maryland businesses, ordering movie theaters, gyms, and restaurants and bars (other than delivery or takeout) to close temporarily. Racetracks and casinos, including the MGM National Harbor, were ordered to close as well. Two weeks later, on March 30, Hogan announced a stay-at-home order mandating that residents only leave their houses for essential reasons, such as obtaining food, essentials, or medical attention. He ordered public transportation in the state to close and prohibited travel outside of the state. Public schools were also closed for four more weeks, until April 24.

-On April 1, Hogan issued executive orders that deregulated email restrictions on telehealth and established workers performing disability services as “essential employees.” Restaurants and bars are able to perform takeout and delivery services and have been permitted to sell alcohol to-go.

Washington, D.C.

-On March 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser prohibited mass gatherings of 250 people or more in the district and closed libraries and recreational facilities. Public and charter schools were closed until March 31. The mayor mandated on March 16 that restaurants close bar seating and ensure a 6-foot radius around dining tables. On March 20, the mayor announced that D.C. schools would be shuttered until April 25. On March 24, D.C. announced nonessential business closings in line with those of Virginia and Maryland, temporarily closing tour guides and touring services; gyms, health clubs, spas, and massage establishments; theaters, auditoriums, and other places of large gatherings; nightclubs; hair, nail, and tanning salons and barbershops; tattoo parlors; sales not involved in essential services; and retail clothing stores.

-After stressing social distancing without completely closing Washington, Bowser eventually announced on March 30 a stay-at-home order for D.C. residents, which has since been extended until May 15. On April 5, she shut down open-air markets in the district, specifically the Wharf Fish Market in Southwest Washington, after residents crowded the area over the weekend despite the orders. On April 9, Bowser mandated that shoppers must wear masks in grocery stores, and on April 12, Bowser announced that several roads would be closed in the district to allow more space for exercise.

New York City

-On March 2, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that New Yorkers should ignore the coronavirus and “go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus.” On March 7, following 89 confirmed cases of the virus statewide (12 of which in New York City), Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in the state. On March 14, the New York Public Library system was temporarily closed, as were the Queens and Brooklyn public libraries. On March 17, de Blasio announced that the city’s bars and restaurants were to close (other than takeout and delivery), in addition to all theaters, concert venues, nightclubs, and gyms. De Blasio announced on April 11 that New York City public schools, which had been temporarily closed, would be closed through the academic year.

New York

-On March 20, Cuomo signed the “New York State on PAUSE” executive order, which directed all nonessential businesses statewide to close their in-office personnel functions. Among those businesses deemed essential were banks, skilled trades such as electricians and plumbers, homeless shelters and congregate care facilities, “news media,” auto repair services, animal shelters, farmers markets, building cleaning and maintenance, and, of course, hospital and healthcare services and food services and distributors. On April 6, Cuomo extended the PAUSE order until April 29 and threatened New Yorkers breaking the social distancing rules with an increased fine of $1,000 (up from $500). And on April 15, Cuomo announced he was requiring residents to wear face coverings in public places where they could not keep 6 feet between each other.

-On April 13, Cuomo announced that he and the governors of six other northeastern states (New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Massachusetts) “would work together to plan reopening the region’s economies, schools, and other important elements.” Cuomo later explained that New York, in particular, will work to determine which groups of currently closed businesses are essential to the economy and which are able to protect employees and the public from spreading the virus. On April 16, however, Cuomo again extended New York’s stay-at-home order until May 15, meaning that schools and nonessential businesses will remain closed.

Texas

-On March 13, Gov. Greg Abbott declared the coronavirus “a statewide public health disaster” and directed day cares, nursing homes, and prisons to limit visitations. Abbott ordered state employees to work from home (where possible) and announced that San Antonio would be opening the first state drive-thru with testing capabilities that week, which would begin testing healthcare workers and high-risk patients. On April 8, the governor announced increased testing in the state through sites opened within Walgreens stores.

-On March 31, Abbott issued an order requiring that Texans “minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household,” with the exception of obtaining or providing essential services. Texas schools, many of which had already begun closing of their own accord, were formally closed through May 4. The order mandated that “people shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms, massage establishments, tattoo studios, piercing studios, or cosmetology salons; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options for food and drinks is allowed and highly encouraged throughout the limited duration of this executive order.”

-Unlike other governors, Abbott denied that his was a “stay at home” order, but he later clarified that the order “requires all Texans to stay at home except to provide essential services or do essential things like going to the grocery store.” On April 12, Abbott extended his emergency declaration in the state, urging continued social distancing.

-Amid concerns of stores running low on supplies due to disruptions to the supply chain, Abbott announced on March 15 that he was waiving laws in order to permit trucks from the alcohol industry to deliver provisions to grocery stores. On March 17, Abbott waived regulations relating to telemedicine care for patients with state-regulated insurance plans in order to help doctors in the state continue to treat their patients remotely. He also waived regulations to allow doctors to receive the same payments for telehealth care as they would for in-person visits.

-Abbott has announced that he will unveil a plan to begin to reopen the Texas economy. The details have not yet been released as of this writing; however, the governor has said the reopening will be strategic, “ensuring that what we’re doing is consistent with data with medical analysis, as well as strategies about which type of businesses will be able to open up.”

Michigan

-The coronavirus didn’t reach Michigan until March 10. That same day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency. Whitmer announced the closure of all statewide K-12 schools on March 12, but it didn’t go into effect until March 16. On March 23, after the state had reached a total of 1,791 confirmed cases, she announced a stay-at-home order for Michiganders and ordered all nonessential businesses to close temporarily, until April 13. On April 2, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would issue $1,000 fines to anyone violating executive orders prohibiting large gatherings. On April 9, Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order and banned “all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household.”

-Unlike Govs. Hogan and Northam, who closed gambling businesses in their states, Whitmer has allowed lottery ticket vendors to remain in operation, as well as curbside and home delivery marijuana distributors. Other businesses deemed essential in the order, beyond food distribution and healthcare providers, include public works; communications and information technology, including news media; other community-based government operations and essential functions; “workers in the insurance industry who cannot do their work remotely”; and “workers who perform critical labor union functions.” Even certain businesses deemed essential, such as grocery stores, are prohibited from selling certain “nonessential items,” such as carpet or flooring, furniture, gardening materials, and paint. Whitmer has also barred Michiganders from traveling between their own residencies.

California

-On March 4, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and on March 12, he banned mass gatherings of 250 people or more. On March 19, Newsom issued the nation’s first mandatory, statewide stay-at-home order. At that point, plenty of bars and restaurants had already heeded the state’s plea to shut down. The University of California system then suspended letter grade requirements through the summer and the evaluation of standardized testing in admissions. Newsom also pledged to pay for hotel rooms for essential workers, and on April 13, he announced an alliance with Oregon and Washington to plan the reopening of the regional economy.

-Newsom has also waived regulations to allow medical students and retired health professionals to care for COVID-19 patients. The state’s early action allowed it to send New York ventilators.

Los Angeles

-Mayor Eric Garcetti refused to cancel the Los Angeles Marathon on March 8, despite Newsom’s earlier state of emergency declaration. Garcetti issued a stay-at-home order on March 20, shortly after San Francisco did so. On April 2, Garcetti asked the city’s residents to wear masks when in public, in then-defiance of guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

-Garcetti has threatened to shut off utilities for businesses failing to comply with stay-at-home regulations. He has also offered prepaid debit cards of up to $1,500 for residents living below the poverty line, to help offset the financial burden of the coronavirus.

San Francisco

-Despite being the second-densest city in the nation, San Francisco has had fewer than 1,000 cases and just 15 deaths. The city’s public health officials began monitoring the coronavirus in December, and Mayor London Breed activated its emergency operations center by January. She formally shut down the city on March 17, nearly a week before New York City. More than two weeks prior to the shutdown, Breed warned the city to “prepare for possible disruption from an outbreak.” Breed has also adamantly declared that she’ll put a stop to any festivities related to “4/20.”

Florida

-Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a public health emergency on March 1, following two cases of the coronavirus being identified in the state. On March 9, DeSantis issued an executive order declaring an official state of emergency, and public schools in the state were closed on March 17. On March 12, DeSantis announced that “mass gatherings” in the state were canceled but offered no clarification on what number of people constituted a “mass gathering.”

-While DeSantis instructed bars and restaurants to reduce to 50% capacity on March 17, he did not issue a stay-at-home order until April, instead permitting cities, localities, and businesses to make major closure decisions during the interim. Theme parks and many of Florida’s beaches remained open during March, allowing for spring break travel and tourism. By April 1, when DeSantis issued a mandatory 30-day stay-at-home order, Florida had nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Like most states, the 34-page stay-at-home order allows exemptions for “essential” activities such as getting food, supplies, and hospital visits and for those working in industries such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and distribution. Unlike many other states, however, it also permits religious services in churches and other houses of worship, as well as recreational activities such as fishing, hunting, walking, running, biking, and swimming.

Ohio

-Gov. Mike DeWine canceled the Arnold Classic bodybuilding and strongman competition on March 3 and held a summit to prepare for the pandemic two days later. DeWine declared a state of emergency on March 9, the same day the first case was reported in Ohio, and the governor instructed state colleges to transition to remote learning. By March 12, DeWine announced K-12 school closures and a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people. On March 17, he issued an order to postpone all elective surgeries, including abortions.

-On March 22, DeWine finally issued a statewide stay-at-home order. Businesses, industries, and activities that are deemed essential under the order include marijuana production and agriculture, religious entities, media, “First Amendment protected speech,” and hotels and motels, to the extent used for lodging and delivery or carry-out food services.