On Sunday, St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray ordered al "shelter in place" for the city. The order is set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and last until 11:59 p.m. April 2.
The order recommends residents to stay home or "shelter in place," with a few exceptions. People are allowed to leave their homes for "essential activities" like going to the grocery, seeking medical services, or seeking any supplies or services deemed "essential," outdoor activity like walks, and going to most workplaces.

The order requires social distancing and a six-foot distance between people for businesses considered essential.
Here is a breakdown of businesses considered "essential" in the Shelter in Place Ordinance:
1. Healthcare and public health services and supply distribution (for human or animal care)
2. Law enforcement, public safety, first responder, emergency dispatch, and security
3. Agriculture and food creation, transportation, distribution, and retail sales (for human or animal consumption)
4. Restaurant and prepared food distribution (for allowed distribution methods)
5. Energy, electricity, petroleum, natural gas and propane acquisition, extractions, production, generation, processing, storage, distribution, and retail distribution
6. Water and wastewater processing, treatment, conveyance, and distribution
7. Logistics and transportation of goods and people, repair of transportation systems and infrastructure, transportation dispatch, packaging material manufacturing, shipping, air and rail transportation, and support services
8. Public infrastructure support and maintenance
9. Communications infrastructure support and maintenance
10. Information technology development, management, support, and security
11. Education (including childcare) and governmental operations
12. Critical community assistance and preparedness services
13. Manufacturing of necessary consumables and their components
14. Chemical and hazardous materials handling and cleanup
15. Critical financial services
16. Military operations
17. Home repair of critical utilities and facilities, including buildings; (Home is removed and including buildings added.)
18. Construction and related activities; (Item added)
19. Services related to real estate transactions, including title searches, appraisals, permitting, inspections, moving, and recordation, legal, financial and other necessary services; and (Item added)
20. Services related to funerals and end-of-life care, including burials, religious services, and floral services for funeral; (Item added)
21. Cleaning involving sanitizing; (Item added)
22. Grass, weed, and vegetation removal (excluding other lawn and landscaping services; (Item added)
23. Support for the foregoing services
24. Functions that the Director of Health deems, in writing, to be essential services.