Joplin city officials considering stay-at-home order

The prospect of a stay-at-home order for the City of Joplin is appearing likely as Health Department officials and city residents have been recommending to the city's elected officials that such an order be put in place until the COVID-19 crisis has passed.

At the beginning of a briefing this morning, Mayor Gary Shaw addressed the issue.








"A lot of the area cities and states are looking at shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders," Shaw said. "Joplin does not have one at this point, but we're taking it very seriously."

Shaw added, "We will probably be addressing that in a matter of hours or days."

Such an order, which would limit businesses that could be open to "essential" ones such as grocery stores, banks, convenience stores and pharmacies, would not be designed to hurt businesses, Shaw said, but for "the safety of our citizens."