Daily US Times: The US states of New Jersey and Connecticut are joining California and Illinois in ordering shutdown in an attempt to combat the spread of coronavirus. The result will soon be one in five Americans set to be under a “stay at home” order.
New York State has also ordered non-essential businesses to close but did not announce a complete shutdown.
The coronavirus has infected nearly 19,000 people in the US and has claimed 230 lives.
The global number of infection is skyrocketing as more than 270,000 patients have tested positive with more than 11,000 deaths.
What measures are the states taking?
Illinois, Connecticut, and New York state announced measures on Friday, directing tens of millions of people to stay at home.
The order will force most workplaces to close and require residents to remain inside except for trips to grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York restricted any kind of public gatherings and ordered all “non-essential workers” to stay at home.
The state has confirmed 7,000 coronavirus cases, highest of any state in the US.
Mr Cuomo told reporters, “These provisions will be enforced. These are not helpful hints.”
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in New York state ate on Friday, a move that will release federal funding.
On Friday, Some New York neighboring states – Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut also issued a joint order for the closure of all “personal care” businesses, such as hair and nail salons and piercing and tattoo parlours.
All outdoor team sports will be banned under the measure which will come into effect on Sunday night.
California is the first US state to announce shutdown. On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a “stay at home” order to all of its 40 million citizens as it tries to stop the spread of the coronavirus across the most populous US state.
Governor Gavin Newsom told Californians they all should stay at home and only leave their homes when necessary.
He estimated earlier that half of the population of the state, nearly 20 million people would contract Covid-19 in just the next two months.
