Home » Uncategorized » Review the Latest COVID-19 Retail Restrictions
covid-19 retail restrictions

Review the Latest COVID-19 Retail Restrictions

During the 2020 holiday shopping season, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) is striving to keep independent home improvement retailers informed of the latest COVID-19 guidance.

Take a moment to review a state-by-state overview of current restrictions on retail and group gatherings to ensure you’re operating safely and securely this holiday shopping season. Also, find guidance from Canadian provinces to inform your decision-making this holiday season. Click on any state or province for a direct link to COVID-19 resources specific to that location.

NOTE: The information contained in this article derives from an interactive resource from The New York Times. NHPA staffers are working to keep this list updated, but to ensure you’re operating with the absolute latest information, be sure to check the Times.

Alabama
Home improvement retail remains mostly open in Alabama. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Alaska
Home improvement retail remains mostly open in Alaska. Masks are not required.

Arizona
Masks are mandated for certain businesses, and some counties have closed bars and nightclubs. Retail stores are open.

Arkansas
Retail stores are open in Arkansas and some localities require masks.

California
In December, Gov. Gavin Newsom instituted stay-at-home orders in any region where available intensive care unit hospital beds dropped below 15 percent availability. The southern California and San Joaquin Valley and the greater Sacramento region are currently below that threshold. Officials in five San Francisco Bay-area counties also instituted restrictions in place.

As of Dec. 17, visitors to the Bay Area must quarantine for 10 days, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Home improvement retail remains open, but food and drink establishments are closed.

Colorado
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Connecticut
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Delaware
Gov. John Carney has announced a stay-at-home advisory from Dec. 14 to Jan. 11. The state has a mask mandate, and home improvement retail is open.

Florida
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are not required.

Georgia
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are not required at the state level.

Hawaii
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory. Gov. David Ige has deferred to mayors of the state’s islands and counties to oversee mask mandates and business restrictions. To curb transmission in the island, Gov. Ige instituted a requirement that travelers confirm a negative COVID-19 test result before arriving to the state or quarantining for two weeks.

Idaho
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are not required at the state level.

Illinois
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are required.

Indiana
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory. Indoor gatherings are limited to 25 people in certain counties.

Iowa
In November, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued an order that mandated masks in indoor public spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained. Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Kansas
Gov. Laura Kelly instituted a statewide mask mandate in July, but counties are allowed to opt out. In November, Kelly introduced a new mask order that gave counties one week to create their own policies, but were still allowed to opt out of the mandate. Home improvement retail remains open.

Kentucky
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory. Residents are advised to stay at home.

Louisiana
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Maine
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Maryland
Gov. Larry Hogan has ordered retail stores to operate at a 50-percent capacity limit. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Massachusetts
Capacity at most businesses has been reduced to 40 percent. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people. A stay-at-home advisory was issued in November. Home improvement remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Michigan
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory.

Minnesota
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory.

Mississippi
Social gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 50 people outdoors. Masks are required in 61 of the state’s 82 counties, as well as in schools and close contact businesses.

Missouri
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are not required.

Montana
Public gatherings are limited to 25 people. Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Nebraska
Gov. Pete Ricketts has announced masks are required at indoor businesses where close contact is maintained. Gov. Ricketts has also issued an order that establishes additional restrictions according to the state’s overall COVID-19 positivity rate. Home improvement remains open.

Nevada
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory in the state.

New Hampshire
Masks are mandatory in the state. Gov. Chris Sununu in November issued a travel advisory requiring 14-day quarantines for anyone entering the state from high-risk areas.

New Jersey
Home improvement retail is open. Gatherings are limited to 25 people. Masks are mandatory.

New Mexico
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory. Residents are advised to stay at home.

New York
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

North Carolina
Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a stay-at-home order which requires residents to stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., effective Dec. 11. Home improvement retail remains open, and masks are mandatory.

North Dakota
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory in the state.

Ohio
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory. Residents are advised to stay at home to avoid transmitting the virus.

Oklahoma
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are not required, though Gov. Kevin Stitt has recommended wearing them and continue social distancing.

Oregon
Home improvement retail is open but must limit capacity to 50 percent. Masks are mandatory.

Pennsylvania
Home improvement retail is open, but must be limited to 50 percent capacity. Masks are mandatory, and residents are advised to stay home.

Puerto Rico
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are mandatory, and residents are encouraged to stay at home. On Ded. 7, Gov. Wanda Vásquez ordered a 24-hour lockdown on Sundays. Business capacity is limited to 30 percent.

Rhode Island
The state is currently under a statewide “pause” through Dec. 20. Residents are encouraged to stay home. Masks are mandatory. Home improvement retail is open.

South Carolina
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are required inside restaurants, even if local governments do not require masks.

South Dakota
Home improvement retail is open. Masks are not required.

Tennessee
Local governments are able to require masks. Home improvement retail remains open.

Texas
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Utah
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Vermont
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Virginia
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

Washington
Home improvement retail is open, but reduced to 25 percent capacity. Masks are mandatory.

Washington, D.C.
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are mandatory.

West Virginia
Home improvement retail remains open. Gov. Jim Justice has required masks in indoor spaces at all times, regardless of social distancing.

Wisconsin
Home improvement retail remains open. Masks are required, and residents are advised to stay home.

Wyoming
Home improvement retail remains open, and masks are required in most businesses and on public transportation.

Canadian COVID-19 Restrictions

Canadian provinces have also instituted guidelines for slowing the spread of COVID-19. To learn more about how each province is handling the pandemic, visit any of the links below.

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec

Quebec premier François Legault has announced hardware businesses are exempt from an upcoming “holiday pause” for retailers scheduled to begin Dec. 25.

Saskatchewan
Yukon

About Todd Taber

Check Also

On the Web

On the Web: May

There’s much more to discover from the May edition of Hardware Retailing. Browse the links …