D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday ordered residents to stay at home, joining Maryland and Virginia’s governors in mandating that residents stay put amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The order, which goes into effect on April 1 and lasts until April 24, restates what city and health officials have been saying for weeks: Residents should stay at home as much as possible.
But like every stay-at-home order across the country, it also carves out exceptions for essential activities like grocery shopping, medical appointments, and “allowable recreational activities,” which include walking, riding bikes and scooters, and even games of tennis or rounds of golf — provided social distancing norms are otherwise observed. And it spells out those norms: people should stand at least six feet away from each other, wash their hands after touching any surfaces, cover their mouths when they cough and sneeze, and not shake hands.
The order specifies that residents of buildings should not congregate in common areas or use gyms, party rooms, lounges, or rooftop decks. It includes trips to houses of worship as allowable travel (though many churches have closed to the public), and details how people should use public transit if they need to leave their homes for permissible activities.
Anyone who willingly violates the order could face up to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine, similar to the possible penalties in Virginia and Maryland. Just last weekend, authorities in Maryland arrested a man in Charles County for refusing to disband a bonfire celebration at his house attended by 60 people. Bowser’s order also specifies that government personnel found to be violating the order can face punishment as severe as being fired.
D.C. now joins a growing list of jurisdictions nationwide, and internationally, whose residents have been ordered to stay at home, where they remain at a safe distance from others and limit the spread of the coronavirus.
In Maryland, the new restrictions go into effect at 8 p.m. Monday. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said violators would be charged with a misdemeanor and subject to a penalty that could include imprisonment of up to one year and fine of up to $5,000 — or both.
Virginia’s order closely mirrors Maryland’s and D.C.’s. Violations in the commonwealth can be met with up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The stay-at-home order begins March 30 and goes through June 10, unless Gov. Ralph Northam amends or rescinds it. If it does last the entire time, the 72-day order is the longest stay at home order of any state.
The regional orders come as the coronavirus has continued to spread across the D.C. area. The region saw a sharp rise in cases and coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend, bringing the regional case count to near 3,000. D.C. has reported 401 positive cases and nine coronavirus-related deaths as of Monday afternoon.
This story originally appeared on WAMU, and has been updated with additional information.
Martin Austermuhle