In Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order, which took effect on 3/30/20, and expired on 6/10/20, in response to the White House 3/13/20 declaration that a state of national emergency ensued in the United States. The order directed all individuals in Virginia to stay at their place of residence, with exceptions for essential activities such as obtaining food or medical care, exercising outdoors, and traveling to and from essential businesses.
The last part of this document deals with the protocol. It states, “If your state has issued a shelter-in-place order, please do not take it lightly. Staying inside your home except for essential activities like buying groceries or visiting the doctor. Failing to do so can put the lives of real people who are loved dearly at risk.”
Did Allstate violate the shelter-in-place protocol order in forcing me to close my office during the height of the pandemic, when we knew nearly nothing about it. Only precaution we could make was to limit one’s contact with other people. Contact with landlord – contact with phone technician – contact with cleaning person – contact with movers – etc. All these contacts were essential tasks in closing an agency office.
I shall discuss further in my blog, particularly after knowing that our president, Mr. Shapiro, stayed in his Massachusetts home, in route of Illinois office, to conduct termination of its agents.
