Stay-Home Orders Issued

Both Gov. Mike Parson and the McDonald County Commissioners issued stay-at-home orders on April 3 to combat the spread of covid-19.

Both orders went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

The county order says residents must stay home unless providing or receiving essential services, engaging in essential activities and working for essential businesses and governmental services.

The order said essential activities include:

A. Obtaining food, medicine or other similar goods for oneself or a family member.

B. Obtaining non-elective medical care, treatment or similar vital services for oneself or a family member.

C. Going to and from one’s workplace to perform a job function necessary to provide goods or services being sought in A and B or as otherwise deemed essential worker functions. Guidance on which workers are deemed essential can be found at https:// www.cisa.gov/identifying-criticalinfrastructure-during-covid-19.

D. Going to and from the home of a family member in pursuit of A and B.

E. Engaging in an outdoor activity, provided individuals maintain a 6-foot distance from one another and adhere to the less-than-10people limitation on gathering size.

The order will be in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 30.

The state order expires at 11:59 p.m. on April 24.

It says Missourians must stay home and avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people. All schools must remain closed for the duration of the order.

The order allows Missouri residents to access essential services, such as grocery stores, gas stations or banks, and to engage in outdoor activities, as long as residents practice social distancing. Residents may also go to and from their places of worship, as long as the social distancing guidelines are followed.

To view the order, go to https://governor.mo.gov/ priorities/stay-home-order.

A third positive case of the virus was announced in the past week. It was not travel-related, as the first two were. Paige Behm of the McDonald County Health Department reported that, as of 2 p.m. Monday, 75 tests for covid-19 have been done in McDonald County, mostly at Ozarks Community Hospital in Pineville. There have been three positive cases, two of which have been released from isolation without the need for hospitalization and the third is still in isolation.