What A Shelter-In-Place IL Coronavirus Order Would Look Like

ILLINOIS — Over the past 24 hours, California and New York officials have ordered tens of million of residents to stay home in the most extreme measures taken yet to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. As of Thursday, Illinois health officials reported 422 confirmed cases of coronavirus in 22 counties and four deaths — and said they expected those numbers to continue to rise.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly expressed frustration with residents' refusal to stay home and angrily spoke out against the lines he saw forming outside bars for pre-St. Patrick's Day celebrations last week. Days after he railed against residents who continued to gather in large crowds, the governor issued an order closing all bars and restaurants to dine-in (or drink-in) customers.

On Thursday, Pritzker hinted he is considering even more extreme measures. Asked Thursday whether he might order a shelter-in-place here in Illinois, he said, "I'm looking at all of these things literally every day, contemplating the moves that we need to take based on the guidance" of state and federal health officials.

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Pritzker has also repeatedly reaffirmed his duty to protect the people of Illinois.

"Our people are the bravest, kindest, most hard-working individuals in the nation. I believe in you. I'm going to fight like hell for you," he said last week.

Pritzker is expected to speak Friday at 3 p.m., when he is sure to be asked again about a potential order.

One Illinois town — Oak Park — has already issued a shelter-in-place order, with its mayor and the mayors of neighboring River Forest and Forest Park urging residents to stay home unless they must leave to purchase essentials.

"We are interconnected in so many ways. We are urging people to shelter in place. This is a serious matter, and the three of us here, we value human life more than anything else. Please stay at home and shelter in place," Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb said.

What would a shelter-in-place order look like in Illinois:

What is a shelter-in-place order?

Usually government officials order residents to shelter in place during emergencies like storms or police activity. Residents are often required to stay at home for the duration of the event. Obviously, with a viral outbreak that could last months, the order may not be quite as comprehensive.

What's the point?

In this case, the idea of a shelter-in-place order would be to enforce social distancing. Public health officials recommend residents avoid gatherings and maintain at least six feet between them, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. That's why Pritzker has closed schools statewide, banned gatherings over 10 people and barred dine-in customers from restaurants.

Say they call a shelter-in-place order here. Could I get arrested if I violated it?

That would likely depend on Pritzker's order, but the California order is enforceable by law. When six San Francisco Bay Area counties ordered residents to shelter-in-place earlier this week, law enforcement agencies said they'd look to "educate people, not to make arrests." In Alameda County, officials explained that violating the order is a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or arrest, but the "intent is not for anyone to get in trouble."

Would that mean I wouldn't be able to get groceries?

Generally, residents are allowed to leave the house for "essential needs." In Oak Park, residents were told: "Businesses that provide essential services will be able to remain open including grocery stores, banks, convenience stores, pharmacies, restaurants for delivery and pick up only, laundromats, skilled trades essential to maintaining the safety and sanitation of residences, hardware stores, medical service providers, first responders, transportation providers, government activities and essential social service providers and shelters."

The stay-at-home order in California has a number of exceptions:

• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
• Banks
• Laundromats/laundry services

Essential government functions are still open. Currently in Illinois, many government offices are closed, but residents can still access government services online or by phone.

What about exercising or walking the dog?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that residents can still take their kids outside or walk their dogs, as long as they practice social distancing.

What's it like being locked-down long term?

It's still early, but the San Francisco Bay Area has been under a shelter-in-place order since Monday afternoon. For vox.com, resident Kelsey Piper wrote about her experience so far with the lockdown. She described last-minute visits with friends before the order went into effect and the psychological effects of being required to stay home.

"It's weird how much being locked down feels different from staying home voluntarily. We'd decided weeks ago we should avoid others, do our part in preventing this pandemic from overrunning hospitals. But now that it's required, it's stressful," Piper wrote.

She also described confusion over what businesses count as essential and more generally about what people can do to slow the spread of the virus.

"There's a sense of patriotism, of courage, of civic duty, but it's stifled and poorly directed," Piper continued. "We want to serve our country, but we don't know how. We want to save our neighbors, but we don't know how. On many of the most critical questions, the experts don't know either."

Follow our latest coronavirus coverage in Illinois:

• Pritzker Closes All Bars & Restaurants
• Breaking Coronavirus Quarantine In Illinois Could Mean Serious Legal Consequences
• Illinois Coronavirus: Kohl's, IKEA, Gap Among Store Closings
• Will Coronavirus Push IL Hospitals To Capacity Tipping Point?

With reporting from Christopher Huffaker, Patch Staff