When will the coronavirus quarantine end, where can you go in lockdown and stay at home order

Tens of millions of US residents are now under stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders as new coronavirus cases spread across the country. Worldwide, with more than 1.7 million coronavirus cases reported, the hardest hit countries, such as Turkey, are now ordering residents to stay indoors, while others, including Italy and Spain, are extending their lockdown orders. And to check the spread of the virus and flatten the curve, states and regions are extending their stay at home and shelter in place orders.

Under these various government orders, the scope of where you can go and what you can do is changing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, now recommends that people wear nonmedical face masks or face coverings in public. Here’s everything you need to know about face masks and the coronavirus, and how to make your own masks or buy premade face coverings.

How can you protect yourself from the coronavirus when you do leave the house? And with many areas continuing to tighten restrictions, when can you expect the orders to lift?

We’ll tell you what we know about when the restrictions might end, and the countries and states participating in shelter in place, stay at home and curfews. Keep reading for what defines essential versus nonessential businesses and where travel bans are in effect.

When will the lockdown end?

As terrible as uncertainty is, we just don’t know. Some restrictions are likely to ease on a case-by-case basis, depending on the situation where you live. In some parts of the world, there’s already a relaxation of social restrictions and a turn toward economic activity. In others, where states and countries still brace for the worse, quarantine could stretch on for months, and rules could tighten. International travel bans for nonessential business could take time to ease.

Here are some examples of recent changes:

China, which locked down the epicenter of the outbreak in January, is now slowly lifting travel restrictions in the region, two and a half months later. Two of the hardest hit countries in Europe — Italy and Spain — have both extended lockdowns that began in the middle of March as they begin to see signs that restrictions are starting to flatten the pandemic curve after a month. 

California was the first to order statewide restrictions on March 19 and is now seeing indications that its stay-at-home order is having an effect. Six Bay Area counties have already extended their regional shelter-in-place order to May 3 and Los Angeles has extended to May 15. A handful of states, including New York, have also started extending their restriction period.

New Jersey is also seeing a decline in the growth rate of new cases, according to Gov. Phil Murphy, but he stressed his state still has days to go before the curve hits its peak and urged residents to continue to stay at home and practice social distance to get to the other side of the curve quicker.

To prevent another outbreak of the virus, states and countries may use widespread coronavirus testing to monitor the spread the disease and lift restrictions gradually, slowly reopening businesses and schools, for example, while continuing to require residents to practice social distancing and best hygiene practices, including hand washing and wearing face masks in public.

To get all the way back to normal, we’ll most likely need an effective vaccine and other widely available antivirus medicines, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. A vaccine is expected to take a year or longer.

These 6 US states have no lockdown orders

More than 40 states have told millions of US residents to stay at home, shelter in place or limit activities outside the home. A handful of states, however, have no statewide directives that limit residents to their homes and essential activities: Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Shelter in place or stay at home: Here’s what your state is doing

Shelter in place is a fairly restrictive directive that instructs residents to stay at home and leave only for essential tasks, like going to necessary doctor’s appointments and the grocery store. In general, you can go on walks for errands and recreation while practicing social distancing — and you can walk your dog and garden. You can also drive to and from essential services, but driving around for fun is out. Many businesses, like gyms and movie theaters, are closed while residents stay at home. And to help individuals recover from the crisis, the federal government is sending coronavirus checks to many US citizens.

While in many areas, there’s no police enforcement for shelter in place, in some regions, such as the counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, you can be fined or imprisoned if you don’t comply.

Alabama: From April 4 to April 30, Gov. Kay Ivey ordered residents to stay at home except for essential activities.

Alaska: Gov. Mike Dunleavy mandated Alaskans to remain at their place of residences starting March 28 and closed nonessential businesses.

Arizona: Starting March 31, Gov. Doug Ducey ordered residents to stay home, stay healthy and stay connected, through April 30.

California: San Francisco Bay Area communities started sheltering in place as of March 17, expanding to a statewide mandate as of March 19.

Colorado: Starting March 26, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ordered Coloradans to stay at home. 

Connecticut: Gov. Ned Lamont issued a “Stay Safe, Stay Home” order for March 23, closing nonessential businesses statewide.

Delaware: Starting March 24, Gov. John Carney ordered residents of the state to shelter in place and closed nonessential businesses.

Florida: On April 1, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a “safer at home” executive order, requiring residents to limit their movements outside their home to essential services.

Georgia: On April 1, Gov. Brian Kemp said he would sign a shelter-in-place order starting April 3.

Hawaii: Gov. David Ige ordered anyone in the state — residents and tourists alike — to stay in their place of residence. The governor had previously ordered anyone arriving in the state to self-quarantine.

Idaho: Gov. Brad Little ordered residents to stay home statewide for at least 21 days, except for essential services and outdoor exercise.

Illinois: Starting March 21, Gov. J. B. Pritzker ordered a statewide shelter in place, with essential services like pharmacies and clinics remaining open.   

Indiana: Starting March 25, Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered residents to stay at home, except for essential services, and prohibited onsite dining.

Kansas: Starting March 30 to April 19, Gov. Laura Kelly ordered residents to stay home unless for essential activities such as getting food or medical care.

Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear closed “non-life-sustaining businesses” to in-person services starting March 26 and told Kentuckians to go outside only for essential activities and exercise.

Louisiana: On March 23, residents of Louisiana were ordered to shelter in place.

Maine: Beginning April 1, Gov. Janet Mills orders residents to stay at home through at least April 30.

Maryland: On March 30, the governor signed an executive order directing residents to stay in their homes.

Massachusetts: Gov. Charlie Baker directed residents to stay at home starting March 24 and ordered nonessential businesses to close during that period.

Michigan: Starting March 24, the state ordered residents to stay home unless for an essential activity.

Minnesota: Gov. Tim Walz ordered residents to stay at home, beginning from March 27.

Mississippi: Starting April 5, Gov. Tate Reeves has ordered residents to shelter in place.

Missouri: From April 6 to April 24, Gov. Mike Parson ordered Missourians to stay home.

Montana: Gov. Steve Bullock directed residents to stay at home from March 28 through April 10 and closed nonessential businesses.

Nevada: On March 31, Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered Nevadans to stay in their residences except for essential services, through April 30.

New Hampshire: Starting March 27, Gov. Chris Sununu has ordered residents to stay at home.

New Jersey: He didn’t officially use the term “shelter in place,” but Gov. Phil Murphy directed residents to stay at home and ordered nonessential businesses to close by March 21.

New Mexico: Beginning March 24, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham instructed residents to stay at home and go out only when necessary.

New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo put his state on “pause,” stopping short of a call for a statewide shelter in place. Instead he shuttered all nonessential businesses and ordered all nonessential workers to work from home as of March 22.

North Carolina: Except for essential activities and services, residents are ordered to stay indoors, beginning March 30.

Ohio: The state requires residents to stay at home, starting March 23.

Oklahoma: Ordering residents 65 and older to stay at home, Gov. Kevin Stitt on March 24 also directed any Oklahoma resident with an underlying medical condition to stay in their homes except for essential services.

Oregon: Effective March 23, Gov. Kate Brown ordered Oregonians to stay at home, except for essential services and walks.

Pennsylvania: From April 1 to 30, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered residents to stay at home except to access, support or provide essential services.

Rhode Island: Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered residents to stay at home through at least April 13. The governor also ordered anyone coming to Rhode Island from another state to self-quarantine for 14 days.

South Carolina: Gov. Henry McMaster ordered residents to limit movements outside of their homes to essential activities, starting April 7.

Tennessee: Starting March 31, Gov. Bill Lee directed residents to stay at home, except for activities essential for health and safety.

Texas: From April 2 to April 30, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texans to minimize social gatherings and in-person contact with those not in the same household.

Utah: Stopping short of calling it a shelter-in-place order, Gov. Gary Herbert issued a “stay safe, stay home” directive through April 13.

Vermont: Gov. Philip Scott directed residents to stay at home, except for essential services and exercise, starting March 25.

Virginia: Until at least June 10, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered Virginians to stay at home except for work and limited shopping, and closed all schools.

Washington: Hours after the Oregon order, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on March 23 issued a similar stay-at-home order.

West Virginia: Calling it a stay-at-home order, Gov. Jim Justice directed residents to stay indoors starting March 24, except for essential trips and exercise.

Wisconsin: In a series of tweets, Gov. Tony Evers said he would order residents to stay at home as of March 24.

Along with dozens of states, the District of Columbia ordered residents to stay at home beginning April 1, and Puerto Rico has required residents to stay indoors.

At the regional level, cities and counties are also issuing stay-at-home orders, including Austin, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri, Miami Beach, Florida, St. Louis, San Antonio and a handful of counties in Pennsylvania.

Which states are directing quarantine?

A quarantine is specifically used to restrict the movement of someone who’s apparently well but has been exposed to a communicable disease, to limit its spread through contact.

Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 23 said he would sign an executive order requiring anyone flying from New York or New Jersey to Florida to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Hawaii: Starting March 26, anyone arriving in the state — visitors or returning residents — are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Kansas: The state requested that residents who recently visited California, Florida, New York or Washington or traveled on a cruise ship to quarantine in their homes for 14 days.

Rhode Island: Gov. Raimondo ordered anyone arriving from any destination by plane or from New York state by car, train or bus to self-quarantine for 14 days — except public safety professionals, healthcare professionals, pilots and flight crew.

Regions with curfew orders

A curfew is one of the most stringent of all emergency measures, mandating that residents stay indoors during certain nighttime hours. It may be enforced through a fine or arrest. While New Jersey Gov. Murphy recommended on March 16 that residents stay indoors overnight, the request wasn’t part of an official curfew order.

A few regions, however, are imposing curfews, including Kaua’i county in Hawaii, where the mayor of the county used the term “curfew” to require residents to stay indoors from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.; and South Fulton, Georgia, where residents are instructed to stay in their homes between the curfew hours of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Exceptions include performing an essential service, delivering food or household supplies, or seeking medical attention.

Countries on lockdown and restrictions: What it means

Lockdown is a colloquial term to broadly describe companies, states and countries that are restricting business operations, transportation and the movement of people. In Europe, a handful of countries have mandated that people stay indoors, at times threatening to enforce the restriction with law enforcement.

France: Countrywide, people are required to have a certificate to leave their home for any reason, including to buy essential supplies and for walks outside their home, including with a pet. For a business trip, they must have a signed document from an employer. People can be fined for failing to comply. International travel is also restricted.

Germany: Not on lockdown but with restrictions similar to those California, Germans are required to avoid groups larger than two people, leave their homes only for essential services and exercise and practice social distancing. Restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery.

India: Beginning March 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day lockdown, closing nonessential businesses and requiring anyone who arrived in India after Feb. 15 to self-quarantine, following local health-authority guidelines. Essential services such as grocery stores will remain open, as well as delivery services for food and medical supplies.

Ireland: From March 27 to April 12, residents are ordered to stay at home, except for essential services and brief individual physical exercise within two kilometers of home.

Italy: People also need a certificate to travel around, with checkpoints monitored by the authorities throughout the country to make sure residents comply. As in France, they can go on walks and bike rides, but are required to keep a safe distance from each other. Members of the military are assisting with containment.

New Zealand: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered nonessential businesses to close and instructed people to stay at home.

Portugal: While not on lockdown, in a decree by the government, people are required to stay indoors except for essential activities. Those over 70 have additional restrictions and can leave their homes only when necessary, to buy food, for example, for medical appointments and for short walks. As with many states, the government is closing nonessential businesses and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery.

Spain: The country has closed nonessential businesses, allowing people to leave their homes only for essential services. Spain is considering using the police and military to enforce the stay-at-home mandate.

Turkey: The government ordered a two-day curfew on April 10 and asked residents to continue to practice social distancing.

UK: Saying “you must stay at home,” on March 23 Prime Minister Boris Johnson instructed people to not leave their homes except for necessities such as groceries, medical care and once-a-day exercise. Johnson said police will have the power to enforce the new rules.

Travel bans: US and European borders closed

With a travel ban, you are restricted from visiting other countries, except for essential business.

Europe: Joining France and Italy, the European Union has closed its borders to nonessential travel for 30 days.

UK: The UK is advising residents to limit travel to countries and regions.

US: The federal government has closed its borders with Canada and Mexico for nonessential travel as well as banned travel to countries and regions it’s designated as high-risk areas including China, 26 European nations and the UK.

Essential vs. nonessential businesses and services

To curb the spread of coronavirus, many states are closing down nonessential businesses, including shopping malls, theaters, sports arenas, nail and hair salons, bars and pubs, and bingo halls and casinos.

At the same time, states are allowing businesses that provide services necessary for the health and safety of residents to stay open, including:

• Grocery stores
• Hardware stores
• Stores that sell pharmacy and medical supplies
• Food pickup or delivery (including liquor takeout from bars in some states such as New York and California)
• Hospitals and medical centers
• Banks
• Gas stations
• Pet stores

Jobs in “essential” services include those that keep infrastructure running, such as health care, food banks, sanitation, cleaning and construction. You can also drive to the gas station, walk the dog and engage in outdoor recreational exercise while practicing social distancing.

You don’t need to be ordered by your state or local authorities to stay safe. Here’s how to keep the virus out of your home, how to avoid misinformation about the virus and what you need to know about coronavirus treatment. If your state or region has coronavirus restrictions, let us know in a comment.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.