The National Guard can enforce stay-at-home orders in the US, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Esper explained that states can use the National Guard to make sure that stay-at-home orders are being observed by people to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Talking to CBS News, Esper said the use of National Guard would be an option for the governors.
“Again, the guard is active in all 50 states and territories. I'm very proud of what our guardsmen are doing, but we have a whole lot more capacity out there in the guard right now to do more," he said.
Esper pointed out that the National Guard's assistance in managing the coronavirus is similar to its duties when natural disasters like hurricane hit the country. He adds that the National Guard could be used to reduce the impact of the outbreak.
“You know, we typically think of National Guard dealing with a hurricane in a state or a series of tornadoes, and this case right now, we have 54 hurricanes out there,” he said. “And every single state and territory, and we know they're going to grow in size and in their power.”
An increasing number of states are imposing state-at-home orders. Governors are asking residents to remain in their homes to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, which is expected to kill 100,000 to 240,000 Americans.
Last weekend, the National Guard in Rhode Island started its door-to-door visit to ensure that quarantine orders are being observed for those leaving New York.
However, some areas will not implement heavy-handed tactics to make sure that their stay-at-home orders are being followed. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday that her city would not make arrests to enforce the rule.
“We don’t expect that we will have to issue any fines and jail penalties, because we expect the people of the District of Columbia to comply,” Bowser said at a press briefing. “The point is not to arrest anybody, the point is for people to stay at home.”
Deployment
General Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, recently reported that around 2,000 troops have been summoned to assist so far. He thinks that the number would eventually multiply.
“It’s hard to tell what the exact requirement will be, but I’m expecting tens of thousands to be used inside the states as this grows,” said Lengyel to the press.
He said that the National Guard can support local law enforcement efforts under state control. He pointed out that this would not happen if it is federalized, saying he was not aware of any such plans and did not see it as ideal.
“That would not make sense in this situation,” Lengyel said.
The National Guard is expected to help with cleaning public spaces and delivering food to homes amid the coronavirus outbreak. The National Guard, part of the reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces, is asked to assist 27 states, including New York.
“It’s a historic event, unlike any we have faced in recent years,” Lengyel said, describing the coronavirus outbreak. He also compared the pandemic to a national disaster of extraordinary scale.
“It’s like we have 54 separate hurricanes in every state and territory and the District of Columbia… Unlike a hurricane, we don’t know when this is going to dissipate or move out to sea,” he added.
