Denver Mayor Michael Hancock ordered residents Monday afternoon to stay at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“This isn’t a recommendation anymore. People need to stay at home,” Hancock said at a press conference. “We will enforce when and where necessary.”

The order begins Tuesday at 5 p.m. and lasts until April 10. By then, Public Health Director Bob McDonald said, city officials will be able to determine whether the spread of the virus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, is slowing.

Hancock’s order places Denver in league with cities, counties and states across the country with similar restrictions. About one in five Americans are under orders to stay home, the New York Times reports. Strict statewide directives have been issued in California, Illinois and New York — but not Colorado.

The order closes nonessential businesses and public places in Denver. Residents are required to shelter in their homes, leaving only when they must. Grocery shopping and doctor visits are examples of exemptions to the order.

At first liquor stores and recreational marijuana shops didn’t make the list of essential businesses. However the city reversed its original decree within hours after would-be shoppers formed lines wrapping around the block for both types of establishments. Now liquor and marijuana stores can remain open with measures in place to ensure 6-foot spacing between individuals.

Under the order, restaurants can still offer carryout and delivery, and medical marijuana shops can remain open. Denver International Airport will also continue to operate. City parks will remain open, but group activities will be prohibited and playgrounds closed.

Hancock said he anticipates other communities in the metropolitan area might issue their own stay-at-home orders, but it appears unlikely Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will do so statewide in the near future. Several hours after Hancock’s statement, Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam ordered a similar stay-at-home order there along the same timeline.

Instead, Polis on Sunday ordered employers at noncritical workplaces to halve their in-person staffs and asked residents to go out for groceries and exercise less frequently. He also advised the elderly and the otherwise vulnerable to remain indoors unless they need medical attention.

As of Monday afternoon, 148 people in Denver had tested positive for the virus — likely a fraction of those who’ve contracted it, since tests are scarce. No deaths have been reported in the city. Statewide, nearly 720 people have tested positive for the virus and seven have died.

“We just have not seen the mass levels of community transmission across the state that would make it necessary to initiate this order statewide,” said Scott Bookman, who is overseeing the state Department of Public Health and Environment’s response to the pandemic.

On the heels of Hancock’s order, Denver Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer issued a joint statement with Colorado House candidate Dan Himelspach calling on the governor to take action immediately.

Police and business inspectors will enforce the order, Hancock said, but he’s hoping for voluntary compliance.

“If you’re sick, stay home. If you’re not sick, you need to stay home, too,” he said.

The mayor said he’s thankful for the many people who are already taking the need for social distancing seriously.

Local health care doesn’t just serve the metro area, he said — it’s for everyone: “We can’t let our hospitals get overwhelmed.”

He urged residents not to flood grocery stores.

“We know that these stay at home orders are tough on many people,” he said. “Do not panic buy. This order by no means is a change in the attitude and belief … that we should not be panic buying.”

Jo Moeller said she has mostly stayed home since Friday and while she’d appreciate more freedom, she understands the need.

When she heard of Hancock’s order, Moeller grew concerned for an 86-year-old friend who has trouble with her memory. Moeller said she stops by her friend’s home often and worried she wouldn’t be able to continue.

“She’s semi-independent and can be on her own but needs help with medication, with eating enough so she doesn’t waste away,” Moeller said. “If someone comes over and has lunch with her or prepares a meal for her then she’ll sit and eat, but otherwise she won’t eat.”

She breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that was an acceptable reason to leave home.

During the next few difficult weeks Moeller predicted neighbors will step up to the challenge and uplift those in need. Hopefully, she said, the trend continues long after the pandemic ends.

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