List of Essential Businesses


Here’s a quick list of some essential businesses still operating:

  • Grocery stores
  • Pharmacies
  • Doctor’s offices
  • Gas stations
  • Restaurants offering takeout or delivery
  • Convenience and corner stores
  • Food banks
  • Farm and produce stands
  • Banks
  • Pet supply
  • Auto supply and repair
  • Home improvement and hardware
  • Garden stores and nurseries
  • Office supply stores

The governor’s office released a list of business sectors that are considered essential. 

Community-based government operations and essential functions

-Hotel workers

-Construction workers for essential facilities, including housing, and residential construction related to emergency repairs

-Plumbers, electricians, exterminators

-Commercial retail stores such as pet supply, auto supplies and repair, home improvement and hardware, garden stores and nurseries, office supply stores and home appliance stores

-Rental car companies

-Laundromats and laundry services

-Critical government workers including the governor’s office

– State and county workers responsible for determining eligibility for safety net benefits

-Weather forecasters

-Workers supporting public and private childcare establishments, schools colleges and universities

-Child care for the children of essential workers across all sectors and for uniquely vulnerable children

-Elections personnel

Health care

Includes hospitals, healthcare facilities, research centers, suppliers and manufacturers

-Health care providers and practitioners such as doctors, dentists, psychologists, nurses and assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and more

-Hospital and lab workers, including administrative staff

-Workers in other medical facilities such as blood banks, clinics, mental health, long term care, hospice facilities, outpatient rehab, consumer health products, cannabis retailers and others

-Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, distributors of medical devices, equipment, pharmecuticals, testing materials, lab supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products, and others

-Workers who conduct community-based healthcare functions such as those who work in homeless shelters and family care providers

-Veterinary clinics

-Mortuary services and funeral homes

Emergency services

Includes police departments, sheriff’s offices, fire departments, Department of Defense police and public works departments

-Police, firefighters, private security, emergency dispatchers

-Military personnel, including National Guard and Coast Guard

-Emergency medical technicians

-Search and rescue

-Public works employees

-Plumbers, electricians, exterminators and other private businesses that maintain homes

-Sanitation workers

Food and agriculture

Including businesses related to the production, processing and delivery of food.

-Grocery, pharmacy, corner and convenience stores, liquor stories that sell food, farmer’s markets, food banks, produce stands, retail stores that sell food, big box stores

-Restaurant carry-out, delivery and quick serve food operations

-Food manufacturers and processers, livestock, poultry and seafood facilities

-Farm workers and agricultural companies

-Food and beverage distributors

-Forest product workers including timber, paper and other wood products

-Cannabis stores

Energy

Including the production of electricity, oil and natural gas, the supply of fuel the transportation industry, and power to homes and businesses.

-Workers who maintain or restore power and utilities, including nuclear plant workers

-Vegetation management and traffic workers who support

-Gas stations and truck stops

-Water and wastewater facilities

Transportation and logistics

Including aviation, commercial vehicles, public transportation, highways, waterways and postal service.

-Postal and shipping

-Ferries, mass transit, rail and taxis

-Truck drivers

-Automotive, motorcycle and motorized wheelchair/scooter repair and maintenance facilities

-Airports and workers such as air traffic controllers, aviation security

-Maintenance workers

Communication and information technology

Including phone, internet, cable, cyber infrastructure and products and services.

-Media and the workers who support it

-Maintenance and repair technicians

-Customer service and support staff

-Cyber security workers

-Workers supporting communication systems and information technology

Critical manufacturing

Includes manufacturing of metals, machinery, electrical equipment, appliances and transportation equipment

-Workers needed for the manufacturing of medical supply chains, transportation, energy, communications, food and agriculture, chemicial manufacturing, nuclear facilties, dam operations

Financial services

-Banks, credit unions, ATMs

-Workers who maintain systems for processing financial transactions

-Armored car drivers

-Workers who support financial operations

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