Shelter-in-place: What does that mean and what is the impact on you?
Norman Mayor Breea Clark issued a proclamation of shelter-in-place for residents of Norman, OK beginning Wednesday, March 25th at midnight. The shelter-in-place will last, at minimum, until midnight on April 14th -- 21 days. For the specific guidelines, visit the Norman City website here (https://www.coronavirus.normanok.gov/).
What are you supposed to do now? What does a shelter-in-place mean?
The shelter-in-place means that, as a resident of Norman, you are to stay in your residence at all times, except for a few specific activities. These activities include
- Going to a doctor's appointment for you or close family and friends,
- Going to get medical supplies or medications,
- Going to get supplies needed to work from home,
- Going to get or going to deliver food, household goods, and safety and sanitation products for you, your close family or friends,
- Exercising outdoors, but only if it follows social distancing requirements, such as maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of separation, not gathering in groups of more than 10 people,
- Working for a business listed as essential,
- Caring for a family member, close friend, or pet.
If you don't follow this proclamation, and you are found to be out in the city for any reason other than above, you could face fines of $50 to $750 and up to 60 days in jail.
Non-essential businesses must close physically, but can continue to operate if employees can work from their shelter-in-place residences.
The list of essential businesses is included on the Norman City website and can appear complex at first. If you have any questions about whether your business is “essential” or if you would like to request that your business receive an exemption or be reclassified as “essential”, please contact our office immediately.
The proclamation also closed all city municipal buildings, with the exception of the Municipal Court and the Police Department. This means that if you need to file a VPO, guardianship or any other emergency motions, the Worden Law Firm can give you instructions on how to complete and file them.
What if you work in a non-essential business?
If your business or your employer is not listed as an essential business, then you must work from home. If your business or employer cannot provide a remote working situation and lays off, fires, or substantially reduces the hours of employees, employees may be eligible for unemployment or other COVID-19 financial relief. If you have any questions about whether your business or employer acted legally with your reduction in employment in the wake of these events, call us for a free consultation at (405) 360-8036 to discuss what your options might be.
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