Tens of millions of American in the states of New York state, Illinois and Connecticut were directed to stay home on Friday – following a similar order by California as a part of the social distancing measures being implied in the United States to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic through person to person transmission.

Almost a quarter of the total population of the United States or about 75 million, arte now under the unprecedented stay home restrictions. The restrictions also require the close of most of the workplaces and residents will only be allowed outside tor making trips to the grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and other “essential businesses.”

Similar directions will be issued in the next 24 hours in New Jersey, said the state’s Governor Phil Murphy.

“To avoid the loss of tens of thousands of lives we must order an immediate shelter-in-place,” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Friday with the use of a term that is typically used to define self-protection measures that should be taken during mass shootings. 585 coronavirus positive cases of the disease including five deaths, have been reported from Illinois, which includes Chicago. .

Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, crept up closer to the highest levels of power in Washington even as the larger number of average American’s were placed under orders to keep to themselves.

One of the aides to the United States Vice President Mike Pence, who has been leading the task force created by the White House to tackle the virus pandemic in the country, was found to have tested positive for the virus. However Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller said in a statement on Friday that neither Pence nor President Donald Trump has had any close encounter or contact with the individual.

About 31 per cent of the total economy of the US – the largest of the world, is accounted for by the five states whose governors have either banned or will soon ban all forms of non-essential businesses while ordering residents to stay home.

While announcing the stay-at-home order for the state of New York which has a population of almost 20 million, Governor Andrew Cuomo noted the shortage of medical personnel and supplies such as ventilators and protective masks which could be a major issue for the state in countering the rising number of infections even as the virus crisis is set to put a huge strain on the healthcare system of the state.

“The ventilators are to this war what missiles were to World War Two,” Cuomo said. He added that the authority was willing to “pay a premium” for additional stocks of personal protective equipment. Companies that manufacture such products needs to “get creative” he said.

On the other hand, according to the health orders issued for the 40 million residents of California by the state’s Governor Gavin Newsom mandates a minimum distance of 6 feet between those people who would be allowed outside for exercise. Anyone found practicing otherwise will not be allowed outside.

The US has reported a total number of Covid-19 infections at more than 18,000 while death of at least 250 people has been reported.

(Adapted from France24.com)