u.s. state and local government responses to the covid-19 pandemic u.s. state and local government responses to the covid-19 pandemic state, territorial, tribal, and local governments responded to the covid-19 pandemic in the united states with various declarations of emergency, closure of schools and public meeting places, lockdowns, and other restrictions intended to slow the progression of the virus. states, territories, and counties that issued a stay-at-home order in 2020. came into effect before march 22 2020 came into effect before march 29 2020 came into effect before april 5 2020 came into effect before april 12 2020 no order ever issued full map including municipalities multiple groups of states formed compacts in an attempt to coordinate some of their responses. on the west coast: california, oregon, and washington state; in the northeast: massachusetts, new york, new jersey, connecticut, delaware, pennsylvania, and rhode island; and in the midwest: michigan, ohio, wisconsin, minnesota, illinois, indiana, and kentucky. there was a link between public health outcomes and partisanship between states. at the beginning of the pandemic to early june 2020, democratic-led states had higher case rates than republican-led states, while in the second half of 2020, republican-led states saw higher case and death rates than states led by democrats. states with tougher policies generally had fewer covid cases and deaths. thousands of us counties also initiated their own policy responses to the pandemic, resulting in significant variability even within states. state-level regulations initial pandemic responses, including full lockdowns this is a list of regulations that were imposed at the state level, restricting activities and closing facilities as a result of the pandemic. many counties and municipal jurisdictions have imposed more stringent regulations. a columbia university model estimated 54,000 deaths would have been prevented if states had enacted restrictions starting a few weeks earlier, on march 1. state/territory state of emergency declared stay at home ordered stay at home order lifted face coverings required in public gatherings banned out-of-state travel restrictions closures ordered sources schoolsdaycaresbars & sit-down restaurantsnon-essential retail alabama march 13 april 4 april 30 yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes alaska march 11 march 28 april 21 no 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes american samoa january 29 no n/a no 10 or more travel suspended yes (remainder of term) yes no no arizona march 11 march 31 may 15 no 50 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes arkansas march 11 no n/a yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes regional california (government response) march 4 march 19 no yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes colorado march 10 march 26 may 8 yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) restricted yes yes connecticut march 10 march 23 may 20 yes all recommended quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes delaware march 12 march 24 may 15 yes all mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes district of columbia march 11 march 30 may 29 yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes florida march 1 april 3 april 30 no 10 or more limited quarantine / screened yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes georgia march 14 april 3 april 30 no 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) no yes yes guam march 14 no n/a no all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes hawaii march 4 march 25 may 31 yes 11 or more, and public gathering in public places mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes idaho march 13 march 25 april 30 no all mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes restricted illinois march 9 march 21 may 30 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes indiana march 6 march 25 may 1 yes all outside, and 11 or more inside a household no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes iowa march 9 no n/a no 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes kansas march 9 march 30 may 3 yes 10 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) no yes yes kentucky march 6 march 26 (advisory) no (advisory) yes 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes louisiana march 11 march 23 may 14 yes 11 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes maine march 15 april 2 may 31 yes 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes restricted maryland march 5 march 30 may 15 yes 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes massachusetts march 10 march 24 (advisory) may 18 (advisory) yes 11 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes michigan march 11 march 24 june 5 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes minnesota march 13 march 27 may 4 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes mississippi march 4 april 3 may 11 no all no yes (remainder of term) no yes yes missouri march 13 april 6 may 3 no 10 or more regional yes (remainder of term) no yes yes montana march 12 march 28 april 24 no 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (districts' choice) yes yes yes nebraska march 13 no n/a no 10 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) restricted restricted no nevada march 12 april 1 may 15 yes 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes new hampshire march 13 march 27 june 15 no 50 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes new jersey march 9 march 21 no yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes new mexico march 11 march 24 may 15 yes 6 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes new york (government response) march 7 march 22 may 15 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes north carolina march 10 march 30 may 8 yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes north dakota march 13 no n/a no 50 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes n. mariana islands january 29 no n/a no 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes no no ohio march 9 march 23 may 30 yes 11 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) restricted yes yes oklahoma march 15 april 2 (partial advisory) n/a no 11 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes oregon march 8 march 23 no yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes restricted pennsylvania march 6 april 1 may 8 no 10 or more (recommended) limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes puerto rico march 12 march 15 may 3 no all screened yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes rhode island march 9 march 28 may 8 yes 25 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes south carolina march 13 april 7 may 12 no 50 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes south dakota march 13 regional n/a no 50 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes no no tennessee march 12 april 2 april 30 varies by county 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes texas (government response) march 13 april 2 april 30 yes 10 or more limited quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes utah march 6 regional n/a yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes regional u.s. virgin islands march 13 march 25 no all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes vermont march 16 march 25 may 15 no 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes virginia march 12 march 30 june 10 yes 10 or more no yes (remainder of term) yes yes restricted washington february 29 march 23 may 4 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes west virginia march 4 march 23 may 4 yes all no yes (remainder of term) yes yes yes wisconsin march 12 march 25 (declared unconstitutional on may 13) may 26 (declared unconstitutional on may 13) yes all mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) restricted yes yes wyoming march 12 regional n/a no 10 or more mandatory quarantine yes (remainder of term) yes yes no in michigan, puerto rico, texas, and vermont, retailers who sold a mix of essential and non-essential items were only allowed to sell essential items. regions that formerly had a stay-at-home order or advisory state date enacted date lifted alabama april 4, 2020 april 30, 2020 colorado march 26, 2020 april 26, 2020 florida april 3, 2020 may 4, 2020 georgia april 3, 2020 april 30, 2020 idaho march 25, 2020 april 30, 2020 illinois march 21, 2020 may 30, 2020 indiana march 25, 2020 may 1, 2020 kansas march 30, 2020 may 4, 2020 louisiana march 30, 2020 may 15, 2020 maine april 2, 2020 april 30, 2020 maryland march 30, 2020 may 15, 2020 massachusetts march 24, 2020 may 18, 2020 michigan march 24, 2020 june 2, 2020 minnesota march 27, 2020 may 18, 2020 mississippi april 3, 2020 april 27, 2020 missouri april 6, 2020 may 3, 2020 montana march 28, 2020 april 26, 2020 new hampshire march 27, 2020 june 11, 2020 new jersey march 21, 2020 june 9, 2020 south carolina april 7, 2020 may 4, 2020 tennessee march 31, 2020 april 30, 2020 texas april 2, 2020 april 30, 2020 west virginia march 23, 2020 may 4, 2020 wisconsin march 25, 2020 may 13, 2020 september 2020 florida nearly fully reopened on september 25, 2020. all businesses were allowed to reopen at 100% except bars which were allowed to be restricted to 50% capacity by local governments. the governor, after initially leaving mask mandates up to local governments, overrode all local mandates and announced that no florida government could fine someone for failing to social distance or wear a mask. february 2021 on february 5, iowa announced that all mandates would be repealed by february 8. this caught some by surprise since iowa was struggling (compared to other states) to distribute coronavirus vaccines in early february. on february 26, arkansas fully repealed all mandates except for a mask mandate, which the governor said would likely be repealed at the end of march. arkansas continues to make recommendations. march 2021 mississippi announced on march 2, 2021, that it would fully reopen on march 3. the state would continue to make recommendations, but would repeal all mandates. texas also announced on march 2 that it would be fully reopened on march 10, 2021, with no mask requirements; the state would continue to issue recommendations. wyoming announced on march 8, 2021, that it will fully reopen march 16. that reopening would include ending its mask mandate. additionally, by march 11, 2021, connecticut and west virginia had fully reopened except for mask mandates, and arizona had fully reopened except for mask and social distancing mandates. indian reservations on march 19, the wiyot tribe issued a shelter-in-place order on the table bluff reservation effective march 20 to april 7. the navajo nation imposed a stay-at-home order on the entire reservation, the largest reservation in the country, on march 20. the navajo nation reissued this order on march 24. the northern cheyenne and crow indian reservations in montana imposed curfews. on march 21, the makah reservation in northwestern washington state issued a shelter-in-place order. on march 22, the lummi nation also announced a shelter in place order after five cases in the area were confirmed, including two members of the tribe. on march 23, the red lake indian reservation in northwestern minnesota issued a shelter-in-place order and curfew for 30 days. the southern ute indian reservation in southwestern colorado issued a stay-at-home advisory. on march 26, the reservation closed its borders and replaced its stay-at-home advisory with a mandatory order. on march 23, the eastern shoshone and northern arapaho tribes issued a joint stay-at-home directive for the wind river indian reservation. the quinault indian nation issued