Covid Rules for your State

[Chuckanut]

From time to time, I hear about the Covid situation in various states and I wonder what the governor's rules for that state are.

Today, it's Arizona. Are restaurants still open for indoor and outdoor seating? Any limitations on the number of people allowed inside? Crowding rules? How about gyms, barbers, hair dressers, nail salons, etc. Any big limits?

 

[rodi]

Here in California it depends on what part of the state. The governor defined regions and metrics are applied for each region to determine if it should be more or less restricted.

I live in southern California which has the tightest/most restrictions. Restaurants are take out only. Retail (except grocery stores) are at 20% capacity, grocery stores are at 50% capacity. Gatherings with people outside your household are forbidden. Churches are outdoors only. Outdoor recreational areas are open but overnight camping is prohibited. Essential workers only for in person work. Mask mandate continues to be in effect.

In reality.... Two strip clubs sued and have a temporary judgement allowing them to operate. (Not making this up). One of the local large churches continues to hold indoor services despite cease and desist orders. On my walk I see non related groups walking together with no masks, softball teams playing, and their families commingling, with no masks. And some restaurants used the strip club judgement to reopen.... Not sure what the latest is on this.


The metric used to determine level of restrictions is ICU capacity. Southern California is at 0%. But that's mostly due to LA. We are at 13% capacity in San Diego (which still qualifies us for max lock down.)

 

[rodi]

Forgot to mention, the camping restriction impacted our family. Were had campground reservations for last weekend through Wednesday for death valley... They were automatically cancelled because death valley is in the So Cal region.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Im here in NC and the governor made it a priority to legalize carryout booze from restaurants. Im having to question hiw this particular "problem" got front burner attention. Clearly nothing else more important here. My sister offered "well it keeps people from drinking in bars." No Einstein, but closing the bars might.

 

[Midpack]

Im here in NC and the governor made it a priority to legalize carryout booze from restaurants. Im having to question hiw this particular "problem" got front burner attention. Clearly nothing else more important here. My sister offered "well it keeps people from drinking in bars." No Einstein, but closing the bars might.

I'm afraid customers will misuse the privilege and kill the idea. But I can rationalize why the governor would try to give bartenders some way to generate ANY revenue. Restaurants have it bad, I don't know how bars have survived this long (those that plan to reopen when the pandemic allows). And I'll get blasted for this, but bars have as much right to be open NOW as churches IMO...

IMO we haven’t slowed the virus because there aren’t enough people consistently observing even simple precautions. What any governor, health expert or other official recommends is secondary at best - IOW you can’t blame the officials first in most cases. No governor or health official can save us from ourselves. It’s pretty obvious why some countries have fared far better than others - officials and citizens almost uniformly taking COVID seriously for starters.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I get what youre saying. I questioned the curfew also until someone explained it was the wrecks and shootings that happen at night outside late night entertainment like bars etc that also burden the healthcare system. So encouraging everyone to call it an early night helps out the ER coping with covid..... I postulate there are fewer DUIs leaving midnight mass or evening worship than leaving bars. But that's just my theory.

 

[audreyh1]

Well it’s been tricky. TX has a statewide mask mandate since June/July, compliance has been very good in stores that I see, and restaurants were pulled back again in October in terms of dine in capacity. In Oct counties were allowed to opt in on opening bars with limited capacity. It’s been hit or miss, regionally, but at least as a state we haven’t reached the hospitalization numbers in June/July nor been in as bad a shape as many other states. Still total deaths are quite high. TX exceeds CA but has only 75% of the population. Some areas like El Paso have been a disaster. Counties and municipalities are not allowed to increase restrictions past the governors orders and this has handicapped local responsiveness to outbreaks.

Abbott announced the 15% threshold as part of a September order that allowed restaurants to open at 75% capacity, and he explained that it would be triggered if COVID-19 patients made up 15% of “all hospitalized patients'' in a region. But in October he changed the metric to 15% of “total hospital capacity” — or total beds. The change effectively moved the goalposts, requiring more COVID-19 patients to trigger the restrictions in a given area.

The October order also allowed bars, which had been closed statewide since late June, to reopen in counties where officials opted in. Counties that did so included two that would later become COVID-19 hot spots: Randall, home to part of Amarillo, and Lubbock.

Bars keep pulling fast ones:

Guests dance at Billy Bob’s Texas, a honky-tonk in Fort Worth. Billy Bob's was classified as a bar, but since Aug. 13 has operated under a food and beverage license. Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/12/22/texas-coronavirus-restrictions/

 

[SecondCor521]

In Idaho, it changes regularly. I don't pay a great deal of attention to it, but I think we're starting to have some concerns about hospital capacity, so there is pressure to lock things down more. But many people here are tired of the lockdowns, and we're a "leave me alone" sort of state, so that's pressure the other way.

I get the general impression that the various officials around the state who have a say are playing a complicated power game. The mayors, the governor, university presidents, coaches, various boards of health, school districts, large employers, and regional health agencies all have opinions and they all try to posture and put pressure in places that they think works best. It's not bad, but it's clearly noticeable that it's going on.

It looks like we're in stage 2 at the moment, which is one step above "everyone stay home all the time as much as possible" stage 1.

If you want the latest, you can see it here:

https://rebound.idaho.gov/stages-of-reopening/

I also have seen some stuff about how each school district has a color code as to whether to have schools open in person or just remote. Those vary across the state and across time. My kids are all college age so I don't pay much attention to this either.

 

[Dtail]

Don't have to keep up with the state rules of Florida. There aren't any.

 

[geeky_grrl]

In Oregon it varies by county, but most of the state is under an "extreme" category that is the most restrictive. Restaurants are outdoor dining or takeout only, no indoor gyms, museums, or other recreation. Stores are open, capacity is supposed to be lower than 100% but I think they can still be pretty crowded. Personal services like haircuts are allowed. The levels are reevaluated every two weeks but it is probably a while before any of the populated areas have lower restrictions.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I don't keep up with the rules of California. I just assume you can't do anything.

 

[Gumby]

In Connecticut, we have rules regarding hours of operation, spacing, and capacity restrictions, which vary depending on the type of business. The only businesses that are still completely closed are bars. There are also limits on public and private gathering sizes, which vary depending on the venue (indoor or outdoor). Masks are required in public places where you cannot maintain 6 feet spacing and/or to enter any business.

In my observation, the great majority of people seem to be trying to do the right thing, at least in public. The private gatherings of families and friends, especially for the holidays, are probably the weak link in the chain.

 

[W2R]

State: https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/2872
New Orleans: https://ready.nola.gov/incident/coronavirus/safe-reopening/

Here's my best attempt at summarizing the rules (available at the links above):

Louisiana has had a statewide mask mandate for a very long time. Restaurants, gyms, and other businesses are open at limited capacities, except bars can only serve drinks outside (unless they pay for a restaurant license and then it's all perfectly fine for them to serve drinks inside because the act of paying for the license along with offering a bag of peanuts to customers repels viruses). There are various curfews, all of which are at or before 11 PM when everyone turns into a pumpkin and must leave any business and must do their wandering around in groups, drinking, and looking for trouble outside on dark streets, instead. What could possibly to wrong? Live entertainment other than singing, wind instruments, and karaoke are not allowed inside businesses unless outside of New Orleans and not in bars. Or something.

The rules are extremely complex with multiple gray areas and contradictions, and they change frequently with no notice. In practice I am told this leaves lots of room for cash under the table and that that is the general practice.

 

[Ready]

While restaurants in Southern California are supposed to be take out only, virtually every restaurant I drive by is open for outdoor dining, and a few have been serving people indoors as well. I saw a bar open last night serving drinks indoors as well. I don’t think our local Sheriff is taking the restrictions seriously.

 

[CardsFan]

While restaurants in Southern California are supposed to be take out only, virtually every restaurant I drive by is open for outdoor dining, and a few have been serving people indoors as well. I saw a bar open last night serving drinks indoors as well. I don’t think our local Sheriff is taking the restrictions seriously.

Or, maybe your local sheriff understands the difference between a law, which he CAN enforce, and a mandate given by state or local officials that have little to no legal standing?

 

[Walt34]

WV has an indoor mask requirement which is observed in most places. We don't go to many places so haven't kept close track of that. I went to a new Harbor Freight store once, noted that many people including staff were ignoring the mask requirements, and haven't been back. It's likely that I'll never go back.

Fortunately we are retired and are also introverted homebodies so the virus restrictions are not all that bothersome to us. Basically the only places we go are the grocery store, Dr. appointments, and DW goes to her sister's once in a great while. I've been to a club R/C flying site three times but since I only go on weekdays so far I've been the only one there. Whenever possible we do any needed shopping other than groceries online.

Social gatherings of over 25 people are verboten but "does not apply to any activity, business, or entity that has been deemed essential, such as religious services, weddings, or group meetings, conferences, or other special events held for essential businesses and operations..." The rationale of this escapes me.

https://governor.wv.gov/Pages/Statewide-Indoor-Face-Covering-Requirement.aspx

Here's a list of all the rules if anyone cares to plow through it. I haven't bothered since most of it is irrelevant to us:

https://governor.wv.gov/Pages/The-Comeback.aspx

The limit for all purely social gatherings has been reduced to 25 individuals. The limitation does not apply to any activity, business, or entity that has been deemed essential, such as religious services, weddings, or group meetings, conferences, or other special events held for essential businesses and operations, as defined by Executive Order 9-20, as amended.

 

[timo2]

New Mexico has moved to a county based 3 tiered system of red, yellow, and green. (If it were not so serious of a situation, they could have used red and green chiles symbols). Red is fairly shut down. Every single county is red right now. The stores were originally limited to 75 people at a time, but that proved to be counterproductive because everyone just stood in a line for quite a while to get in the store.

 

[Rushmore]

South Dakota here...need I say more? Just like there is no pandemic, well except for the more than 1400 who’ve died

 

[Alan]

Here in jolly old England there are 4 tiers of restrictions depending on which county you live in. About 1/3 of the country is in the strictest tier 4, mostly London, and much of the south.

We are in tier 3 which means

masks in stores
All shops open including beauty parlors and gyms.
Carry-out only in restaurants and cafes
No meeting indoors or in the garden with anyone outside your “support bubble” (our son lives alone so is in our support bubble)
No more than 6 meeting outdoors in public places such as parks






Tier 3 Restrictions
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-3-very-high-alert

 

[FIREd]

In France, masks are required in all enclosed public spaces (stores, official buildings, hospitals, churches, etc...) and within 200 ft of them. In my area, the mask mandate is universally followed. All shops are open (though there is a limit of 1 customer per ~100 sq.ft. of retail space). Restaurants, bars, and cultural venues remain closed (restaurants are allowed to offer carryout). Ski resorts are closed. We also have a nationwide nighttime curfew. No legal restrictions on the number of people meeting in private places though a maximum of 6 people at a time is recommended.

 

[Dtail]

Starting to see on occasion no masks in Publix. Is the pandemic over or just a misguided protest of sorts?

 

[Badger]

Don't have to keep up with the state rules of Florida. There aren't any.

+1
Also masks don't work well if they don't cover your nose too. What is wrong with people? Are they that stupid or do they just not care to get this virus under control?


Cheers!

 

[Dtail]

+1
Also masks don't work well if they don't cover your nose too. What is wrong with people? Are they that stupid or do they just not care to get this virus under control?


Cheers!

Yup, we have friends that act like it is over. Will not hang with them currently.

 

[jimbee]

Face coverings are required in stores in Wisconsin. Every time I shop, I see a couple of people without masks.

 

[Gumby]

Moderator Note: Let's get the discussion back on track. This is the thread for saying what the rules are in different areas, not for complaining about people who won't wear a mask or won't wear it properly. Thanks.