Residents of Colorado’s San Miguel County were ordered to “shelter in place” on Thursday, as were all Californians when Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay home indefinitely, with few exceptions.

Similar orders were issued Friday in New York, Illinois and Florida, and in Michigan, Massachusetts and Indiana on Monday. Denver is expected to announce a similar order at 2 p.m.

At a Friday press conference, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was monitoring shelter-in-place orders in states like California and best practices taken around the world. But did not issue such an order, stating that economic activity doesn’t transmit the virus.

At a Thursday afternoon press conference, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock had discussed the possibility of such an order, saying he’d rather see one at a regional or state level, but couldn’t rule out putting one in place in the next 48 hours, according to Gazette news partner 9News.

Just what might such an order look like? Here are some answers based on what we know about the orders in San Miguel County, as well as California.     

How would it be enforced?

In San Miguel County, it’s is enforceable by a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment in county jail for up to 18 months, according to the order.

In California, Newsom said he doesn’t expect police will be needed to enforce his stay-at-home order, saying “social pressure” already has led to social distancing throughout the state.

“I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that it’s appropriate just to home isolate,” he said.

What would stay open?

In San Miguel County, grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, banks, gas station, laundromats/laundry services, and essential state and local government functions, including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services, will remain open. The same goes for California.

In San Miguel County, cannabis businesses can still operate, but can only accept pick-up orders.

What would close?

In Colorado, restaurants (except for take-out and delivery), theaters, gyms, casinos, hair/nail salons, spas, and tattoo parlors were closed for 30 days per order of Gov. Jared Polis. Additionally, in-person learning at schools has been suspended through April 17, and public gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited. 

In California, the following are currently closed: bars and nightclubs, entertainment venues, gyms and fitness studios, public events and gatherings, convention centers, and dine-in restaurants.

What activities are allowed outside of one’s residence?

In San Miguel County, residents are able to leave their homes to complete tasks such as shopping for groceries, picking up prescriptions, visiting the doctor, picking up supplies necessary to work from home, exercising (while social-distancing), and to care for a family member or pet in another household.

In California, the orders allow residents to venture out only for essential jobs, errands and some exercise.

Are there exceptions?

Yes. In San Miguel County, those who work for essential businesses like those in the health care, food and hardware retail, food cultivation, media, auto-related and transportation industries, as well as governmental entities, may continue to go to work, though they must practice social-distancing.

In California, the governor’s action orders all residents “to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors.”

It links to a Department of Homeland Security document that lists 16 “critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”

They include the chemical; commercial facilities; communications; critical manufacturing; dams; defense industry base; emergency services; energy financial services; food and agriculture; government facilities; healthcare and public health; information technology; nuclear reactors, materials, and waste; transportation; and water and wastewater systems sectors.

The Associated Press, The LA Times and 9News contributed to this report.