Illinois and New York state joined California on Friday in ordering all residents to stay in their homes unless they have vital reasons to go out, restricting the movement of more than 70 million people in the most sweeping efforts yet in the US to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The governors of the three states acted in a bid to fend off the kind of onslaught that has caused the health system in southern Europe to buckle. The three states encompass the three biggest cities in America: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
“No, this is not life as usual,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said as the death toll in the US topped 200, with at least 35 in his state. “Accept it and realize it and deal with it.”
Cuomo said that starting Sunday, all workers in nonessential businesses must stay home as much as possible, and all gatherings of any size will be banned in the state of over 19 million people. He acted after California all but confined its 40 million residents Friday in the biggest lockdown in the nation.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a similar order set to take effect on Saturday for the state’s 12.6 million people.
Exceptions were made for vital jobs and errands, such as grocery shopping and obtaining medicine, as well as exercise.
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