The “Stay Home, Stay Safe” ordinance goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 29th and will last for 14 days. It’s a step above the curfew in effect from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m.

The new ordinance outlines: Individuals shall stay in their homes and not travel through or congregate in the streets, sidewalks, waterways and/or public spaces in the City of Columbia.

Here are the essential businesses and services that will still be operating:

  • Heath care services, including research labs, hospitals, walk-in care facilities, veterinary services
  • Essential infrastructure services, including power generation, fuel services public water, telecommunication and data center
  • Essential retail, including grocery stores, food and beverage stores, pet stores that sell food and medications, big box stores, wholesale clubs that have grocery and pharmacy, convenience stores, direct farm to consumer sales, gas station, restaurant/bars, hardware and building material stores
  • Garbage, trash, recycling, mail, shipping services, laundromats, dry cleaning, building cleaning and maintenance, child care services, warehouse distribution, funeral homes, crematoriums, cemeteries, storage for essential businesses, animal shelters, education institutions for distance learning
  • News media
  • Banks, credit unions, check-cashing services, insurance, payroll, accounting, and services related to financial markets and legal services.
  • Services for economically disadvantaged people, including homeless shelters, food banks, human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs
  • Commercial and residential construction, including electricians, plumbers, landscape services, pool maintenance, nurseries, construction firms and people needed for emergency repair and safety purposes
  • Defense operations including defense and national security-related operations
  • Law enforcement, fire prevention, building code enforcement, security, emergency management and response, building cleaners and janitors, general maintenance whether employed by the direct entity or a vendor, automotive repair, disinfection mail, post, shipping, logistics, delivery, and pick-up services.
  • Real-estate brokers and real estate management