Around 265 million Americans have now been ordered to stay at home to combat the spread of coronavirus, but some states are still refusing to order lockdowns with the governor of Missouri insisting it is down to 'individual responsibility'.

More than 80 percent of the US population are in lockdown after governors from Arizona and Tennessee joined other states in issuing stay-at-home orders effective Tuesday - the same day that the US death toll eclipsed China's.

As of Tuesday, 32 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico were all in lockdown, with residents told to stay home except for essential workers or to go out for essential needs such as buying groceries or seeking medical attention.

The 32 states with stay-at-home orders are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Around 265 million Americans have now been ordered to stay at home to combat the spread of coronavirus, but some states are still refusing to order lockdowns

Pennsylvania, Nevada and North Carolina – as well as the territory of Guam – do not have stay-at-home orders but have shuttered all non-essential businesses.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey seemed to finally bow to pressure Monday and signed an executive order that all residents must remain in their homes from March 31 until at least April 30.

But several states are yet to take such action, which experts have warned is crucial to slowing the spread of the pandemic, that has already claimed 3,669 lives in the US.

Missouri state Governor Mike Parson said Monday that he will not be issuing a state-wide stay-at-home order, saying a 'blanket policy' would be 'difficult' and that it is individual responsibility.

'It's difficult to make a blanket policy for the state of Missouri,' Parson said in a press conference.

'It's going to come down to individual responsibilities.'

Missouri state Governor Mike Parson said Monday that he will not be issuing a state-wide stay-at-home order, saying a 'blanket policy' would be 'difficult' and that it is individual responsibility

Parson claimed a state-wide order isn't necessary because there are key differences between the number of cases in rural and urban areas.

'The one thing I focus on every day is real data,' Parson said.

'How many people do we have in the hospital. How many people have tested positive, and where do these things lead us to in the future. These decisions are not easy to make every day.'

The state currently only has social distancing guidelines, saying 'every person in the State of Missouri shall avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people.'

These measures have been extended past the original date of April 3, Parson said Monday.

His refusal to join other states comes after medical experts sent him a letter last week urging him to consider rolling out a shelter-in-place order.

The Missouri State Medical Association warned the governor that if he failed to take the measures, the state will rapidly run out of much-needed medical supplies including ventilators used to treat the sick.

'We now believe that a statewide 'shelter-in-place' order is the only way to curb the exponential spread of COVID-19 in Missouri,' the letter said.

Most shoppers practice social distancing amid coronavirus concerns as they wait to enter a grocery store on March 31 in Brentwood, Missouri

School buses sit unused in a parking lot after schools closed in St Louis. St Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson and County Executive Dr. Sam Page took matters into their own hands and issued a stay-at-home order on March 23

The marquee on a movie theater, temporarily closed due to the new coronavirus outbreak, displays words of encouragement along a nearly deserted street in St Louis

'If things progress as is, COVID-19 patients will deplete the state's available hospital beds, ventilators, and precious personal protection equipment. Any additional time without a 'shelter-in-place' requirement wastes crucial healthcare resources, including manpower.'

The state is on course for 1,219 deaths from coronavirus by August if it fails to up its restrictions, according to shocking figures from a University of Washington study.

Some cities and counties have taken matters into their own hands and issued stay-at-home orders for their local areas.

St Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson and County Executive Dr. Sam Page issued a stay-at-home order on March 23.

St. Charles, Jefferson, Lincoln, Gasconade counties and the city of Rolla have also ordered shutdowns.

St. Francois and Crawford counties have shutdowns coming into effect on April 3 and April 1 respectively.

Franklin County and Ste. Genevieve counties have restrictions on gatherings and non-essential business closures, while Phelps, Pike, and Washington counties have just promoted state guidelines - but no lockdown is in place in these areas.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has finally bowed to pressure and went into lockdown 5pm Tuesday and will remain in place until April 30

Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming also have no lockdown measures at a county or municipal level.

Arizona finally bowed to pressure and went into lockdown 5pm Tuesday and will remain in place until April 30.

Gov. Doug Ducey announced the new 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected' executive order at a press conference Monday, telling residents to stay home except for essential needs.

'Our order takes a uniquely Arizona approach,' Ducey said.

'It's a whole, holistic approach that prioritizes all of public health, placing a focus on staying home to slow the spread, staying healthy and active, and staying connected to provide the much needed support we can provide one another in these unprecedented times.'

Residents can still go outdoors as long as they socially distance, grocery and drug stores will be open and restaurants can continue with delivery and takeout options.

The move comes after Ducey was blasted by Arizonian residents for his response, with some calling it a 'huge, sick experiment' and a Change.org petition demanding he shut the state down.

Members of a Arizona National Guard unit load up a Black Hawk helicopter to deliver medical supplies to the remote Navajo Nation town of Kayenta due to the coronavirus Tuesday

More than 1,000 people have the virus in Arizona and 20 people have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University

On March 23, he issued an executive order outlining essential businesses, including the unusual decision to class golf courses and 'personal hygiene services', which include barbers, hairdressers and nail salons, as essential.

He also banned all cities and counties from issuing their own lockdown orders, which frustrated mayors who wished to take more serious measures.

'It's really disconcerting because you just see these people and there's no social distancing,' Paradise Valley resident Ann O'Connor told the The Guardian. She is one of many panicked residents.

'It is like a huge, sick experiment.'

More than 1,000 people have the virus in Arizona and 20 people have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Fewer than 14,000 tests had been conducted in the state, which is home to more than 7 million.

Dr JulieAnn Heathcott, a Scottsdale OB-GYN, started a Change.org petition urging Ducey to 'Lockdown Arizona'.

The petition had earned more than 198,000 signatures by Tuesday.

The page says: 'As the number of cases of COVID19 escalates, thousands of people are not practicing social distancing. People are at bars, parks, hiking on crowded paths, shopping at Home Depot and grocery stores, congregating in neighborhoods, hanging out in groups at homes and ignoring what we need to decrease the curve. It is selfish.

'We need to lockdown the country. Every physician in the entire United States knows this. We, Arizona physicians and non physicians, are begging for the Governor to lock down the State since the President will not make the decision.

'Please protect us. Every hour that people are out on the streets adds weeks to how long this will last - not to mention the insurmountable number of deaths that will also occur because of it.'

In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee also announced Monday that a statewide shutdown would be made effective March 31 at 11:59 p.m.

Tennesseans must now stay at home as much as possible and non-essential businesses must close.

Lee insisted it is not a shelter-in-place mandate but called it a 'safer at home' order.

He had come under fire for not acting sooner, with more than 1,500 doctors from across the state sending him a letter urging a shelter in place.

Residents in the Nashville and Memphis areas were already under stay at home orders but there was no statewide mandate.

The state has 2,239 confirmed cases and 11 have died from the virus.

Virginia, Maryland and Florida issued stay-at-home orders Monday.

The US death toll from the coronavirus reached more than 4,000 by the beginning of Wednesday, eclipsing China's official count, according to data collected by the John Hopkins University.

The global benchmark reports that 3,309 people have died from the virus in China, where the global pandemic originated.

The US has also far surpassed Italy's number of confirmed cases, reaching more than 189,000 to Italy's 105,000.

The latest figures suggest fears that the US is on track to become the new Italy, whose healthcare system has buckled under the weight of the pandemic, are fast becoming a reality.

