Here Are the 9 States Resisting a Shutdown

'People have to be responsible for themselves,' says Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2020 9:30 AM CDT
9 States Remain Shutdown Holdouts
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds holds a news conference on COVID-19 at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston, Iowa, Friday, April 3, 2020.   (Olivia Sun/The Des Moines Register via AP, Pool)

Most governors have issued statewide stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, but nine have opted against it. USA Today, the New York Times, and ABC News take a look at the holdouts. One common denominator is that all nine are run by Republican governors, and the Times sums up a sentiment: "For many conservative governors who believe strongly in small government and personal responsibility, the prospect of mandatory stay-at-home orders is anathema and they rejected what they called a catchall approach that could wreck their states’ economies." Generally, the governors argue that a shutdown is unnecessary because they have taken other steps such as shutting schools and nonessential business, and issuing social-distancing advisories. “I can’t lock the state down,” is how Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds puts it. "People also have to be responsible for themselves." Here are the nine:

  • Arkansas
  • Iowa
  • Nebraska
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Wyoming
USA Today has comprehensive list of restrictions in place in all 50 states. (Read more coronavirus stories.)

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