Christian County orders residents to stay at home

The Christian County Commission yesterday issued a stay-at-home order, mirroring a coronavirus edict signed in neighboring Greene County earlier in the week.

Both Christian and Greene counties' orders took effect today. Christian County's order was preceded by Ozark Mayor Rick Gardner’s announcement on March 24. Nixa Mayor Brian Steele announced a measure on Wednesday after the Christian County order went out to residents.

Christian County's order asks residents to stay in their homes for 30 days, except for "essential" services. Essential businesses in the order include health care facilities, construction, grocery and convenience stores, farms and businesses that supply other essential organizations with supplies, according to a news release.

"With the situation evolving in neighboring cities and counties, the commissioners agreed that supporting a unified approach in southwest Missouri is the right thing to do for our community," the release reads. "Collectively limiting our opportunities for contact will slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of new infections."