# US national lockdown coming...as early as Tuesday **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 16, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559 "2020-03-16T01:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/1 "2020-03-16T01:22:57Z")
I have heard from several credible sources that as early as Tuesday March 17th, that the US federal government will be instituting a national lockdown, similar to what has been done in France and Spain, and could last as long as 8 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/2 "2020-03-16T01:33:23Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I have heard from several credible sources that as early as Tuesday March 17th, that the US federal government will be instituting a national lockdown, similar to what has been done in France and Spain, and could last as long as 8 weeks. Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/3 "2020-03-16T01:40:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I have heard from several credible sources that as early as Tuesday March 17th, that the US federal government will be instituting a national lockdown, similar to what has been done in France and Spain, and could last as long as 8 weeks. Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/4 "2020-03-16T02:40:06Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! You can say that again! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/5 "2020-03-16T02:46:18Z")
I could use the free time away from wrok, and would like to see the isolation kind of stall this mess. But that’s me. Lots of prople must work tomorrow to pay their fucking bills. I’m sure Trump has a plan. Hooray Republicans, thanks for putting a fucking moron in charge. Assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/6 "2020-03-16T02:52:44Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I have heard from several credible sources that as early as Tuesday March 17th, that the US federal government will be instituting a national lockdown, similar to what has been done in France and Spain, and could last as long as 8 weeks. Credible sources such as…? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/7 "2020-03-16T03:08:09Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! You should go buy a few cases quick, before everybody else does. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/8 "2020-03-16T03:25:48Z")
help I’m in a rehab and I can’t get out ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/9 "2020-03-16T03:35:32Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > You can say that again! Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/10 "2020-03-16T03:43:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Credible sources such as…? I’m guessing it’s based on things like this. [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dr-fauci-uss-top-infectious-disease-expert-is-in-favor-of-a-national-lockdown-2020-03-15](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dr-fauci-uss-top-infectious-disease-expert-is-in-favor-of-a-national-lockdown-2020-03-15) > **[Trump administration weighing more steps to encourage social distancing for...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/politics/trump-administration-coronavirus-social-distancing/index.html)** > > Trump administration officials are actively weighing steps that would more explicitly push Americans to distance themselves from one another in a bid to prevent further coronavirus contagion. It’s one thing for officials to consider it. It’s another to actually do it. I have serious doubts about the logistical possibility of such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/11 "2020-03-16T08:12:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I have heard from several credible sources that as early as Tuesday March 17th, that the US federal government will be instituting a national lockdown, similar to what has been done in France and Spain, and could last as long as 8 weeks. GQ: Does the federal government (or anyone else) actually have the authority to institute such a thing? Not that it’s necessarily a bad idea, but can it be done? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/12 "2020-03-16T10:11:32Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Shit, on St. Patty’s day no less. Think about all that green beer that’s going to waste! Thanks for taking one for the team! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/13 "2020-03-16T10:16:51Z")
Forget the green beer. Reality check: Saint Patrick’s drink was church wine. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/14 "2020-03-16T10:28:28Z")
I find it inappropriate to be spreading rumors. There is enough of that on lesser parts of the Internet. I expect better of the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/15 "2020-03-16T11:02:28Z")
> [@Tierce](#): > > GQ: Does the federal government (or anyone else) actually have the authority to institute such a thing? Not that it’s necessarily a bad idea, but can it be done? I’m no big city lawyer, but it seems to me that this is a 10th amendment issue, so it’d be up to the states to institute shutdowns or quarantines (which several of them, such as my own, have done). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/16 "2020-03-16T11:47:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Credible sources such as…? This. The other day I heard someone insisting that “they knew” Fed-Ex and UPS were shutting down soon. I pressed for details and found out she was just repeating gossip a friend who drives for Fed-Ex had heard. I also heard a woman insisting her mother had corona. This would have been a first case for my area. The next day the woman told me her mom had “pranked” her. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/17 "2020-03-16T13:09:10Z")
> [@Tierce](#): > > GQ: Does the federal government (or anyone else) actually have the authority to institute such a thing? Not that it’s necessarily a bad idea, but can it be done? Federal law allows authorities or order the isolation or quarantine of people sick with or exposed to health hazards. I don’t know of any general authority to stop commerce generally. However, if a President says that stuff needs to shut down in an emergency like this, the pressure for governors to fall in line and carry out the policy becomes extreme. But I agree that this is no time for spreading rumors like this. In fact, I think it is extremely irresponsible to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/18 "2020-03-16T13:13:14Z")
This isn’t a good thing right now. But I’m opposed to vanishing it on policy grounds. Still, IMHO might suit it better given that it’s just speculation and rumor. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/19 "2020-03-16T13:22:31Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I find it inappropriate to be spreading rumors. There is enough of that on lesser parts of the Internet. I expect better of the Dope. Completely agree. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559/20 "2020-03-16T13:41:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m no big city lawyer, but it seems to me that this is a 10th amendment issue, so it’d be up to the states to institute shutdowns or quarantines (which several of them, such as my own, have done). Seems to me that ultimately, they have the military and sovereign immunity, so really they CAN do it, and worry about the legal fallout later, IF they even allow the states or anyone else to sue them about it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-national-lockdown-coming-as-early-as-tuesday/849559.md?page=2)