by William Skink

The shelter in place order issued by Governor Bullock is not in effect yet, so the vehicular travel my parents engaged in to get from their house to my house for their granddaughter’s birthday party is permissable travel. Come Saturday it’s unclear to me whether or not traveling to a family member’s birthday party will be sanctioned by the state.

Another form of travel worth considering as essential is the take-a-drive-or-stay-at-home-and-lose-your-shit travel that many parents will be utilizing since going to the gym or a yoga class is no longer an option.

Since the awesome power of the state is being flexed to shut down businesses in order to flatten the curve and keep our health care system from being overrun, which hotels are going to be commandeered to provide immediate housing for the homeless?

Shelters are still open, and the homeless are exempt from the order.

Oh, so the overcrowded homeless shelter can stay overcrowded while all these draconian rules are imposed on everyone else. Got it.

Bullock’s order for everyone (accept homeless people) to engage in social distancing and shelter in place is going to last until April 10th. God help us.

Now, for a full list of what’s still open, here’s the breakdown from our helpful corporate rag, the Missoulian:

• Stores that sell groceries and medicine
• Liquor stores
• Food and beverage production
• Agriculture operations
• Organizations that provide charitable and social services
• Media
• Gas stations and businesses needed for transportation, like auto supply and repair shops and bicycle shops
• Financial and real estate services and institutions
• Hardware and supply stores
• Critical trades, like construction, plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff for commercial and governmental properties, security staff and more
• Mail, post, shipping, logistics, deliver, and pick-up services
• Educational institutions, but only to facilitate remote learning. Closure orders still remain in place for public K-12 schools and universities
• Laundry services, such as laundromats and dry cleaners
• Restaurants for consumption off-premises
• Business that sell supplies to work from home, including computers and audio and video electronics
• Firearms and ammunition suppliers and retailers, for purposes of safety and security
• Transportation, including airlines, taxis, Uber and Lyft, vehicle rental services and more
• Home-based care and services
• Residential facilities and shelters
• Professional services, like legal, accounting, insurance, information technology and real estate services. The state and federal tax deadline has been extended to July 15
• Manufacture, distribution and supply chain for critical products and industries.
  Critical labor union functions
• Hotels and motels
• Funeral services