Michigan is forcing Walmart, Costco, Target and others to shut down parts of their stores and stop selling 'nonessential' items

• Michigan is forcing large stores such as Walmart, Costco, and Target to close areas dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries, and paint.
• These stores must also stop the advertising or promotion of "nonessential" goods by April 13.
• A number of local governments have taken similar measures, prompting stores to rope off aisles and bar certain purchases.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a new stay-at-home order on Thursday that bars large stores like Walmart, Costco, and Target from selling "nonessential" items such as plants, furniture, paint, and more.

"If you're not buying food or medicine or other essential items, you should not be going to the store," Whitmer said Thursday of the new order.

With the order, Michigan joins Vermont and a number of local governments that have taken similar measures, prompting stores to rope off aisles and bar certain purchases.

The Michigan order, which went into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, specifically requires stores larger than 50,000 square feet to close areas dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries, or paint.

The order suggests that stores close these sections by "placing signs in aisles, posting prominent signs, removing goods from shelves," or using other means.

These stores must also stop the advertising or promotion of goods by April 13 that are not "groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences," the order states.

The order additionally limits the number of customers allowed in large stores to four people per 1,000 square feet.

"The amount of customer floor space must be calculated to exclude store areas that are closed," the order states.

Michigan is further requiring all stores to dedicate at least two hours per week of shopping time for vulnerable populations, which includes people over 60 years old, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.

The order will remain in effect until May 1.