To further combat the spread of COVID-19, the City of Memphis has issued a Safer at Home Order effective 6 p.m. on March 24, 2020, through midnight on April 21, 2020. The order directs all residents of Memphis to stay inside their homes and immediately limit all movement outside of their homes beyond what is absolutely necessary to take care of essential needs.
YOU CAN …
- Go to the grocery, convenience, or warehouse store
- Go to the pharmacy to pick up medications and other healthcare necessities
- Go to medical appointments (check with your doctor or provider first)
- Go to a restaurant for takeout, delivery, or drive-thru
- Care for or support a friend or family member
- Take a walk, ride your bike, hike, jog, and be in nature for exercise — just keep at least six feet between you and others.
- Walk your pets and take them to the veterinarian if necessary
- Help someone to get necessary supplies Receive deliveries from any business which delivers
YOU SHOULD NOT …
- Go to work unless you are providing essential services as defined by this Order
- Visit friends and family if there is no urgent need
- Maintain less than 6 feet of distance from others when you go out
- Visit loved ones in the hospital, nursing home, skilled nursing facility, or another residential care facility, except for limited exceptions as provided on the facility websites.
City of Memphis Listing of Essential and Nonessential Services (This is not an exhaustive list)
Essential Services
- Research and laboratory services
- Hospitals
- Walk-in-care health facilities
- Emergency veterinary and livestock services
- Eldercare
- Medical wholesale and distribution
- Home health care workers or aides for the elderly
- Dental services
- Nursing homes or residential health care facilities
- Medical supplies and equipment manufacturers and providers
- Grocery stores, (including stores that sell non-grocery items like Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Wal-Mart)
- Auto repair shops
- Pharmacies
- Convenience stores
- Farmer’s markets
- Gas stations
- Restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
- Hardware and building material stores
- Retail To-Go: Stores that will exclusively deliver goods to customers curbside.
- Cell phone and electronic store
- Trash and recycling collection, processing, and disposal
- Mail and shipping services (FedEx, UPS)
- Laundromats
- Home or building cleaning and maintenance
- Childcare services
- Auto repair
- Warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
- Funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemeteries
- Pest control
- Property Management Company
- Skilled trades such as electricians, HVAC, and plumbers
- Commercial and residential construction
- Planning, engineering, and design firms
- Food banks
- Homeless shelters
- Banks
- Newspaper/media
- Uber
- Lyft
- MATA
- Blood banks
- Airports
- Food processing, manufacturing agents
- Chemical plants
- Medical equipment/instruments
- Pharmaceuticals
- Sanitary products
- Telecommunications
- Microelectronics/semi-conductor
- Agriculture/farms
All other critical infrastructure businesses not otherwise listed but identified in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers during COVID-19 Response issued on March 19, 2020
Non-essential Services
- Personal appearance businesses (like hair salons, eyelash salons, barber shops, tattoo shops, and body piercing shops)
- Retail with no exclusive delivery or curbside pick-up
- Entertainment and recreation facilities (bowling alleys, trampoline parks)
- Indoors rock climbing
- Craft Business (ex. Seize the clay)
- Gyms, including yoga, barre, and spin facilities
- Concert venues (ex. Minglewood)
- Theaters (ex. Playhouse on the Square or Hatiloo)
- Movie theaters
- Shopping malls
- Golf courses
- Sporting event venues
- Skating rink
- Dance Schools
