More Than 70 Million Americans Have Been Locked Down so Far, and This Is Just the Beginning…

It seems like just yesterday that I was warning that the same sort of lockdowns that were occurring in Italy and China would soon be instituted here, and now it is actually happening.  As you will see below, more than 70 million Americans have already been locked down, and more states will likely follow suit in the days ahead.  Of course our politicians are attempting to put a positive spin on their directives by referring to them as “shelter-in-place” orders, and they are promising us that they are only “temporary”.  But less than 300 Americans have died during this pandemic so far, and many medical experts are warning that this is only the very beginning of this crisis.  As long as the number of confirmed cases and the death toll are both rising at an exponential rate, these “shelter-in place” orders will remain in effect, and Americans will become increasingly frustrated about having to remain in their own homes.

On Friday, two of the biggest states in the entire country decided that it was time to shut virtually everything down…

The Governor of Illinois has announced a stay at home order, making it the latest state to shut down after New York and California as President Trump refuses to issue a national quarantine in the battle against coronavirus.

On Friday, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a total ban on non-essential businesses and warned there would be strict fines for any businesses that do not comply. It will go into effect on Sunday evening and is indefinite.

But of course some businesses will remain open.  The following is a list of some of the businesses in New York that are exempt from the order…

• Hospitals and medical services
• Grocery Stores
• Pharmacies 
• Government workers 
• Mass transit 
• Some food services and restaurant delivery 
• News organizations 
• Cuomo said he does not know if laundromats apply 

The effectiveness of such an order is definitely open to debate.  As thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers circulate through local grocery stores and pharmacies, it is inevitable that the virus will continue to spread.

But at least doing this is better than nothing.

These orders by the governors of New York and Illinois came about 24 hours after California instituted similar measures…

The stay home order is in place till further notice.

All dine-in restaurants, bars and clubs, gyms and fitness studios will be closed, according to the order. Public events and gatherings are also not allowed. Essential services will stay open, however, such as pharmacies, grocery stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, and banks.

This means that in just those three states alone, approximately 70 million Americans “are now under stay-at-home orders”…

It means that between the three states, 70 million Americans are now under stay-at-home orders.

They are being told to only go out for exercise, to the grocery store or to seek medical care, and can pick up take-out from restaurants – so long as those restaurants can keep themselves afloat. Many have already closed their doors.

Wow.

In addition to California, New York and Illinois, the state of Connecticut has decided to lock down their citizens starting on Monday night, and Pennsylvania has ordered all businesses that are not “life-sustaining” to completely shut down.

We haven’t reached the point of a total “national lockdown” just yet, but it will sure start to feel like it as one state after another issues similar orders.

I am really struggling to find the words to describe how utterly devastating that this is going to be for the U.S. economy.  The number of people filing for unemployment benefits is absolutely exploding all over the country, and financial markets have been plunging as investors anticipate the economic nightmare that is coming.  For much more on this please see the article that I just posted entitled “This Was The Worst Week For The Stock Market Since 2008, And “Jobless Filings Are Growing Geometrically”.

What’s happening in the US economy in one chart. Year- over-year change in seated diners at restaurants for 38 states, as provided by OpenTable. The median state is down 95%. Hopefully, today’s Republican Senate bill will helps before these restaurants are gone. pic.twitter.com/8m56uggfMc

— Andy Puzder (@AndyPuzder) March 19, 2020

Many are hoping that the lockdowns that are being instituted now will last for only a few weeks and then life can start to get back to normal.

But Italy has already been locked down for an extended period of time, and the number of people dying in that country just hit another daily record…

Italy has recorded its highest day-to-day-rise in the number of deaths of people infected with the new coronavirus.

Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli said Friday the country recorded 627 more deaths in the 24 hours since Italy surpassed China on Thursday as the nation with the most COVID-19-related deaths. The total now stands at 4,032.

And many Americans are simply too stubborn to follow these lockdown orders.

In fact, many Americans are too stupid to even use basic common sense.  Just check out the following example…

The latest incident occurred in the Washington exurb of Purcellville, Virginia, some 55 miles from the White House.

According to a Purcellville Police Department report, “An incident occurred at a local grocery store involving juveniles reportedly coughing on produce, while filming themselves and posting it on social media.”

Are you kidding me?

Coughing on produce and then posting it on social media?

Some people will do anything to get attention.

I really do hope that more Americans start taking this pandemic seriously.  The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. will pass the 20,000 mark this weekend, and we just learned that a member of Vice-President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive…

A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus, the White House said Friday, marking the first such infection within the top rungs of the administration.

Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Pence, did not identify the staffer, nor did she say specifically where the individual worked. Pence is leading the administration’s coronavirus task force and has been a regular presence at the president’s side in recent weeks.

This pandemic is going to change life in America permanently, and the truth is that COVID-19 is just one element of “the perfect storm” that is now upon us.

Economic activity is coming to a screeching halt all over the nation, anger and frustration were already at extremely dangerous levels before this pandemic started, and if these lockdown orders stretch on for many months to come it is only a matter of time before we see tremendous civil unrest start to erupt.

Everything that we have been warning about for so long is starting to come to fruition, and the days ahead are going to be extremely challenging for all Americans.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all many people as we possibly can.

Michael Snyder is the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, The American Dream Blog and The Truth. You can follow him on Twitter right here.