DOVER, Del.- Starting Tuesday morning, Delawareans have been ordered to shelter in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
All non-essential businesses have been ordered to close up shop. Up and down Loockerman Street in Dover Monday, many of the stores had already shut down. "Sorry, we're closed" signs were visible on the front doors.
Gov. John Carney issued the order Sunday night, set to go in effect Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.
"All non-essential businesses are closed. All Delawareans are instructed to stay in their homes, except when they are going to and from their place of business, if it's permitted to stay open," he said in a streamed press conference Sunday.
That stay at home order will remain in effect until May 15.
"That's a long time...but you need to be safe and you need to be covered, so if shelters where you need to be, than that's where you need to be," said Linda Lee of Hartly.
Lee was out today looking for some essentials, but didn't have much luck.
"I've been looking for toilet paper and paper towels and nobody has any. We have some, but I'm just saying. Since the governor said we'll be in until May, I think I need some extra things," Lee said.
Emily Smith said she doesn't understand why people are hoarding these items.
"I just came out of Redner's and they're limiting the amount of meat you buy, the amount of paper towels, toilet paper, bleach, things like that. I don't really see why people are stock piling on that kind of stuff, when those stores are going to be open," said Smith.
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations will remain open. For a full list of businesses that will be open or closed, click here.
One set of stores that will also remain open is liquor stores.
Sarah Pillsbury of Dover said she is concerned that the liquor stores have been approved to stay open.
"My only concern is with Pennsylvania being more strict and shutting things like liquor stores, there's going to be people coming from Pennsylvania over to Delaware to try and access items that they are not currently able to get," she explained.
We reached out to Governor Carney's office to find out why liquor stores were allowed to remain open. WBOC is still waiting for a response.
