As of March 31, governors and state agencies have issued 758 executive orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Executive orders are orders issued by a state’s executive branch that do not require legislative approval and are typically based on constitutional or statutory authority.
The three states with the most executive orders so far are Massachusetts (31), Arizona (29), and Michigan (28). The three states with the fewest executive orders so far are Missouri (5), Oklahoma (6), and three states (Louisiana, Virginia, and Wyoming) who have issued seven executive orders.
These executive orders include school closures and stay-at-home or state lockdown orders. Across the country, 47 states have closed schools statewide via executive order, and 30 states have issued stay-at-home orders.
