DED Stay-at-Home Order: Business Guidance

The following guidelines may assist businesses and individuals with understanding and complying with the stay-at-home order issued by the Department of Health and Senior Services and effective on April 6.

(1) The order requires individuals to practice social distancing when outside their homes to work; to access food, prescriptions, health care and other necessities; or to engage in outdoor activity.

(2) The order does not require all businesses statewide to close or cease operating.

(3) This order sets a baseline to be followed throughout the state concerning public health. This order does not affect the authority of local authorities within the state to issue or enforce more restrictive public health requirements for businesses or individuals.

(4) The order refers businesses to guidance by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to assist in determining whether the work their employees do is considered “essential” during the covid-19 response period.

(a) Workplaces that qualify as essential under the guidance may remain open.

(i) When feasible, workers should work from home.

(ii) Workers onsite should take all necessary precautions to reduce the transmission of covid-19, including practicing social distancing except when the performance of job duties requires otherwise.

(b) Workplaces that qualify as essential and are engaged in retail sales to the public must limit the number of people in each retail location to the following standards based on the workplace’s fire or building code occupancy:

(i) For smaller locations (less than 10,000 square feet), they must maintain 25 percent or less of the authorized occupancy;

(ii) For larger locations (10,000 square feet or greater), they must maintain 10 percent or less of the authorized occupancy.

(c) Workplaces that do not qualify as essential but can operate with fewer than 10 people and maintaining social distancing may remain open. Workers onsite should take all necessary precautions to reduce the transmission of covid-19.

(d) Workplaces that do not qualify as essential under the order or the federal guidance but believe that, in the interest of public health and safety, they should receive a waiver from the prohibition against social gatherings of 10 or more people, may apply to the Department of Economic Development director, through the Department’s website at https://ded.mo.gov/businesswaiver, for a waiver of that limitation.

(e) Daycares, child care providers, or schools providing childcare for working families should follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance targeted for those operations.

(5) Individuals should continue:

(a) to avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people;

(b) to practice social distancing;

(c) to refrain from visiting nursing homes, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and assisted living homes; and

(d) to recognize that state office buildings are closed to the public.