Updated May 3
We’re answering your questions about the coronavirus in the St. Louis region. This Q&A is dedicated to questions about restrictions on “non-essential” activities in Missouri and Illinois.
In Missouri, businesses are allowed to reopen with some restrictions on May 4, the first step in the governor’s “gradual” plan that he said will lead to economic recovery. However, the rules will vary by county. Most of our region will reopen at a slower pace, and restrictions on businesses and group gatherings are still in place in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Illinois is under a statewide stay-at-home order.
Those restrictions could change, so check our live blog and Twitter account for the latest updates.
Don’t see your question answered below? Ask it here. And check out other coronavirus guides:
- Coronavirus in St. Louis: Answering Your Health And Safety Questions
- Coronavirus in St. Louis: Answering Your Questions About Making Ends Meet
Missouri is reopening. Does that apply to St. Louis?
St. Louis will reopen at a slower pace. Missouri has given local officials the authority to make stricter rules and regulations on businesses and social gatherings. St. Louis and St. Louis County have announced that stay-at-home rules will remain in place until the spread of the virus is reduced.
As an example, let’s use a hair salon, where employees have to be within six feet of customers in order to provide the service. Whether a hair salon can reopen depends on where it is located:
- In Missouri counties where there is still a stay-at-home order in place (such as St. Louis, St. Louis County and Kansas City), hair salons cannot reopen.
- In Missouri counties where stay-at-home orders have expired (such as Greene County), salons can reopen starting May 4.
- In Missouri counties that never had restrictions for businesses (such as St. Charles County), salons can open.
- In Illinois, the stay-at-home order is still in place, and salons cannot open.
For now, Missouri’s rules allowing business reopenings or social gatherings do not apply in St. Louis or St. Louis County, which have their own, stricter regulations.
So what is allowed in Missouri? What are the rules now?
Businesses still have to follow social distancing requirements, but there are lots of exceptions. The requirements do not apply to people performing job duties that require contact with other people less than six feet, such as barbers, nail technicians or dentists.
Businesses engaging in retail sales, including grocery stores, are subject to the same occupancy limits as laid out in the original social distancing order. For locations with less than 10,000 square feet, they should maintain 25% or less of the authorized fire or building code occupancy. For larger locations, it must be 10% or less. Employees and vendors are not included in the occupancy count.
Movie theatres are allowed to open, and stadiums or other large-venue events can resume but seating should be spaced in accordance with the six-feet distancing guidelines. This applies to concerts, sports events, funerals, weddings and school graduations.
If businesses have a waiting room, the order encourages each location to implement a system where people can wait in their vehicles or pre-schedule appointments. When this is not possible, it’s suggested to develop “public health and safety measures” using the order as a guide.
Can I go to the dentist or the eye doctor?
Non-emergency health care, including eye and dental exams, is allowed to continue in Missouri counties without a stay-at-home order. Dentists and optometrists are not required to follow social distancing guidelines.
What about restaurants? Can I eat in the dining room?
Restaurants are allowed to open dining rooms in Missouri counties without a stay-at-home order. Missouri has suggested making some changes, including disposable menus, limited self-serve buffets and more space between tables.
Can I gather with my religious community?
Houses of worship are allowed to resume in-person services in Missouri counties without a stay-at-home order. However, it is suggested that handshaking and shared cups should be avoided, and streaming services when possible should continue.
Do I have to wear a mask?
Illinois residents are required to wear a face covering in stores and other places where social distancing is impossible. Missouri residents are not required to wear a mask.
St. Louis says all residents should wear a mask or face covering when they must leave their home and cannot maintain physical distance from others.
St. Louis County says my job is essential; the state of Missouri says it is not. Which one do I go by?
When in doubt, abide by the most local order. Gov. Mike Parson has said Missouri’s city and county governments can set up their own restrictions to supplement the statewide order. When those state and local restrictions directly contradict each other, the local one takes precedence, a spokeswoman for Parson told St. Louis Public Radio.
I live in Illinois and work in Missouri. Now with Gov. Parson wanting to reopen Missouri, my company is thinking about bringing us back in. However, Illinois is extending its stay-at-home order. Who am I supposed to listen to?
Missouri employers are permitted to require employees to come back to work after May 4 (unless they are located in a county with its own stay-at-home order, such as St. Louis and St. Louis County.) If you work in Missouri and you refuse to go in for fear of being exposed to the coronavirus, you will not receive legal protections or be eligible for unemployment.
There are no restrictions on travel in and out of Missouri or Illinois.
I live in St. Louis County but work in St. Charles County. My boss wants me to come back to the office. Am I violating the stay-at-home order if I go to work?
No. You are not violating the St. Louis County stay-at-home order by leaving your residence to commute to work. You are permitted to travel to work.
Can I still get unemployment benefits if I refuse to go back to work out of safety concerns?
No. If you quit your job over general fear of COVID-19, you will not be eligible for unemployment or for any federally funded programs under the CARES Act, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. You are likely to be eligible for benefits only if you have been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine.
If you were temporarily laid off due to the pandemic and refuse to return to work when recalled, you will lose unemployment benefits unless:
- You have tested positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms;
- You have recovered from COVID-19 but medical complications render you unable to perform essential job duties;
- A member of your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19; or,
- You do not have access to childcare or transportation because of COVID-19.
My family member was diagnosed with COVID-19, but my job wants me to come back to work. Am I eligible for unemployment if I refuse?
Yes. Missouri allows workers to apply for unemployment benefits if you or someone in your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or if you have recovered but are experiencing medical complications.
Do I need to search for work if I am laid off due to COVID-19?
No. Weekly work search activities are not required if your unemployment claim is coronavirus-related.
When will St. Louis reopen?
There’s no set date so far. Officials have said they’re waiting for the risk of increased exposure to go down.
Who is responsible for paying for safety and protective equipment for employees?
Business owners. Personal protective equipment, including masks, is not required by Missouri law; while face coverings are required in Illinois.
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What does the stay-at-home order mean for businesses that are not “obviously” essential? For example, we deliver office products to businesses. Is that allowed?
Businesses that supply other essential businesses with services and supplies they need to operate are among the common exceptions in the stay-at-home orders. Delivery services are also permitted in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
How will the stay-at-home order be enforced?
Violating the stay-at-home order is a Class A misdemeanor in St. Louis and St. Louis County, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine not to exceed $2,000.
Do I need a special form designating me as an essential worker?
No.
What about my pets?
Pet care is considered an essential activity and service. You can still walk your dog, visit the vet and buy pet food.
What happens to people who can’t self-isolate because they are experiencing homelessness?
Several homeless shelters are limiting the number of people they can accommodate to adhere to social distancing guidelines. As a result, leaders say they are looking at hotels or empty dormitories to quarantine and house people. The city has put up public hand-washing stations for people without access to running water.
Read more: St. Louis-Area Providers Of Homeless Services Brace For Coronavirus
What if my boss wants me to come into work even if we aren't classified as an essential business? Is there a way to report this, or are there any resources available to me in this situation?
If your work is not considered “essential” under your county’s stay-at-home order, then your employer cannot require you to come to work and could be charged with a misdemeanor.
However, the rules about essential jobs are new and largely untested. “Any employer can find loopholes” in determining essential employees, said Sherrie Hall with the Workers’ Rights Law Firm. If an employee can prove their work is not essential or the workplace is violating the order, then legal action is possible.
St. Louis County has an online form to report violating businesses. Law enforcement is responsible for enforcing the rules for business.
If you’re having to work unlawfully, Missouri Bar Employment and Labor Committee Chairman Jon Berns advises that you contact your local prosecutor or city council member and provide email or text proof of your employer’s demands.
I operate a lawn care business in St. Louis County that provides mowing service primarily to residential properties. Is commercial lawn care an essential activity?
Yes, lawn care is considered an essential activity in St. Louis County. If you have clients located in other counties, contact those counties’ health departments to make sure that they also classify lawn care as essential. Stay-at-home regulations differ among counties, and they may not list every business that qualifies.
Additionally, make sure to practice social distancing with both clients and workers.
Is construction and remodeling in someone’s home considered essential?
It may depend on where you are working, but construction work is listed as “essential” in multiple stay-at-home orders in the region. In St. Louis County, that applies to all types of construction. If you are working elsewhere in the region, you may want to call that county’s help line to make sure that indoor construction is permitted right now.
Construction crews should practice social distancing and work in small groups. Crews should be especially careful while working indoors.
Also, check social distancing regulations and limits on how many people can work in the space you plan to remodel. These can differ slightly between counties and cities.
I have an appliance installation company in St. Louis County. Can we keep working?
Yes, appliance installation companies are providing essential products to residences and businesses, so they can continue working in St. Louis County. As always, practice social distancing with both crews and customers. Keep crews to fewer than 10 people.
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