Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandatory stay-at-home order for all of the state’s residents.
Inslee made the announcement in a tweet on Monday night, writing, “Effective immediately, all Washingtonians must stay home unless they are pursuing an essential activity. Those include: Grocery shopping, doctors appointments, essential work duty.
“This order is enforceable by law, but the legal penalties are not what should convince people to follow these orders. The real penalty may be the loss of a loved one to COVID-19. There are 110 Washington families who can tell you what the pain of that loss feels like,” he sent in a follow-up tweet.
This order is enforceable by law, but the legal penalties are not what should convince people to follow these orders.
The real penalty may be the loss of a loved one to COVID-19. There are 110 Washington families who can tell you what the pain of that loss feels like.
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 24, 2020
Several other states have issued similar orders, including California, Ohio, New York, West Virginia, Delaware, Louisiana, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Oregon, Indiana, and Michigan.
California was the first in the United States to issue a stay-at-home order, which led to the closure of all nonessential businesses and services. Only groceries, pharmacies, gas stations, food banks, convenience stores, and delivery restaurants have remained open in the state.
COVID-19 cases have appeared on every continent except Antarctica. Nearly 372,500 people have tested positive for the coronavirus around the world, and at least 16,000 have died from it. In the U.S., more than 41,700 people have the coronavirus, leading to at least 573 deaths.
Washington state has been one of the hardest-hit states by the pandemic and was the site of the U.S.’s first related death. COVID-19 deaths in the state have since risen to more than 100.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic nearly two weeks ago. More than 100,000 people worldwide have recovered from the illness.