GALLATIN COUNTY — Gov. Steve Bullock has issued a stay-at-home order for all Montanans. The directive issued Thursday afternoon is in effect on 12:01 am Saturday.
According to the Governor’s Office, the directive is asking all Montanans to stay at home as much as possible, except for essential activities.
Essential activities including seeking medical services and medicine when sick, shopping for groceries and household needs and helping take care of friends and family.
The directive also requires all non-essential businesses to stop activities, unless it’s from home, and prohibits public and private gatherings outside or at home, if a distance of at least six feet between individuals cannot be maintained.
All this to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
So how’s it enforced?
“You know, be smart and have common sense, and that’s what we’re really trying to really emphasize instead of the enforcement and big brother trying to stop you from living,” said Gallatin County Sheriff, Brian Gootkin.
“We don’t have checkpoints or anything like that. We’re trying to have common sense.”
Sheriff Gootkin says it’s all on a case by case basis, so if someone or a business is caught not following the directive, the Sheriff’s Office will contact the health department.
“We’re just gonna go to the business, we’re gonna talk to the owner, explain to them the directive,” said Gootkin.
“You know, no one is going to jail, that’s not even in the state statue. So that’s not an option.”
Essential businesses like healthcare, food and agriculture, transportation, public works and more as well as others are excluded from the directive’s measures.
Officials in Montana are keeping a list of confirmed cases in the Treasure State on an updated map and website - click here to visit the site.
Governor Bullock's order directs Montanans to stay home and temporarily closes all nonessential businesses and operations as efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, and will be in effect through Friday, April 10. Click here for complete details. The directive also prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or place of residence.
The order does not prohibit restaurants from continuing to offer take-out, curb-side, and delivery service.
Employees who are not sure if they are considered essential should talk with their manager/business owner. Business owners with questions can call at 1-800-755-6672 and leave messages 24-hours a day and will receive a prompt response, according to Bullock.
