The Impact of Stay-At-Home Orders on Military Families

Several states in the U.S. have issued stay at home orders in attempts to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. According to KSL.com, health officials announced 298 cases of COVID-19. For this reason, Utah’s schools will remain closed until May 1.

With this pandemic shutting down major events such as the 2020 Olympics, the stay-at-home orders affect our military members and their families too.

In part 1 of Empire Resume’s Military Life and Coronavirus series, we discuss how the orders to stay in our residences impact military families.

What Is A Stay-At-Home Order?

Simply put, a stay-at-home order is an order issued by governmental authorities for community members and citizens to remain in their homes as a preventative measure to combat the Coronavirus.

But the definition of a stay home order varies depending on the state. Below is a list of some of the states that have told residents to stay home, according to CNN:

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Some states are using the term shelter-in-place instead of stay-at-home.

The Differences Between Stay-At-Home and Shelter-In-Place

Keep in mind, a stay-at-home order is not to be confused with a lock down. People are still able to get out and go to the grocery store and pharmacies to get essential items, as long as they are practicing social distancing.

Federal laws allow states and cities to use discretion when mandating people to stay home.

Certain individuals are still free to travel and work if they are employees of essential business such as:

Food
Healthcare
Utilities

It’s important to check your state’s official sites to determine what a stay home order means for your state. Each stay at home or shelter in place order is different and so are the timeframes.

Even though President Trump is planning for a short shutdown and changes are taking place each day at a swift pace, it’s important to make sure your military household is prepared for the brunt of the Coronavirus.

Make Sure Your Military Household Is Prepared For COVID-19

Now more than ever, you want to ensure that your home is Coronavirus ready.

This includes making sure that your home is well stocked with emergency items such as immune system boosting food — particularly frozen, dried or canned — water and fluids, medications, and personal hygiene necessities.

An article in Military Times opines that civilians are now experiencing the same crisis and stress that is familiar to military and veterans.

Putting the stress and anxiety aside, 158 million Americans being told to stay home leaves our service members, their families, and veterans in a bind.

For example, the following stress factors on our military and veterans include:

Children are out of school and daycare
Military parents are forced to work remotely
Veteran job finders are struggling to seek employment due to hiring freezes
Military travel and permanent changes of station (PCS) are at a stand still
Medical facilities are suffering
Tricare beneficiaries are frustrated with Nurse Advice Line
Supply shortages

Since the U.S. military as a whole is an essential force in emergency situations, the military is providing resources and personnel all over the nation. Additionally, the National Guard and Reserve have been activated to combat the threat of the Coronavirus.

Be sure to listen to your local news channels and keep an eye out from local government officials and your military installation leaders to stay informed about restrictions and closings.

Remember to have extra cash readily available, pet food and supplies, as well as toys and games for children.

As if you haven’t heard this a thousand times, create a contingency plan. A plan is essential to the safety and security of your military family.

Don’t let the Coronavirus get you down. In light of the outbreak, we’re helping the military and veteran community be prepared for the day the economy returns to normal by offering $25 off of all military resume packages.

Dr. Phillip Gold is President/CEO of Empire Resume and has vast experience writing resumes for service-members transitioning from the military into civilian roles. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force responsible for leading nuclear missile security. Phillip is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and holds a BA in Communications from The Ohio State University, an MS in Instructional Technology, an MBA in Finance, and a PhD in Finance.