New Hampshire is the latest state to issue a stay-at-home order and close all nonessential businesses amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Chris Sununu announced the order Thursday and it goes into effect March 27 at 11:59 pm.
"We can't stress this enough - you should stay at your house unless absolutely necessary," Sununu said in a statement on Twitter. "Of course, we won't prevent you from leaving your home to go for a walk, or when heading to the store for groceries, or going to an essential job."
Essential businesses that will remain open in New Hampshire include grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations. Movie theaters, hair salons and barbershops as well as other businesses deemed nonessential have been ordered to close. The state also extended remote learning until May 4.
There are currently 137 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New Hampshire, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services.
In total, 21 states have issued stay-at-home orders or advisories and closed their nonessential businesses. Six states and Washington, D.C. only have essential businesses in operation, but have not ordered residents to remain at home. Other states such as Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania have seen a growing number of select cities or counties under stay-at-home orders.
There are at least 82,404 coronavirus cases in the U.S., with at least 1,070 deaths, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. surpassed China and Italy Thursday in numbers of coronavirus cases. It is now considered the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
