In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, most states have required residents to stay at home and not engage in any non-essential activities, which has led to local, state, and federal officials quickly trying to determine what constitutes essential activity and work. This has caused a lot of consternation, as cities and states have reacted differently, and in some cases, officials appear to be imposing rather aggressive and seemingly arbitrary measures.
For example, in Michigan, the governor declared that residents had to stay in their homes and not even travel to their own vacation houses in the state. In addition, they could not buy “non-essential” items like vegetable seeds, furniture, or carpet, but residents could still purchase lottery tickets, which apparently the state considered to be an essential item. In Hawaii and California, beaches were closed, and there were viral videos showing local law enforcement chasing down rogue joggers in the sand or using a police boat to herd a lone paddleboarder back to shore, where he was handcuffed and carted off to jail.