With the crackdown of quarantine and implementation of strict social distancing standards, people are starting to take to the streets: arguing that social distancing regulations have gone too far. 

   March 30 was a day that will go down in the history of Virginia, as it is the day that Governor Ralph Northam issued a statewide Stay at Home order until June 10. It was done so with the intention to, “protect the health and safety of Virginians and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus,” according to the official statement. This was done following in the footsteps of states like California, New York, and Illinois who issued Stay at Home orders just days prior. 

   These orders turned life upside down for many Americans, as it ended senior years, sent college students home, and left millions unemployed. Nevertheless, the public generally seemed to understand the severity of the situation and respect social distancing guidelines in an effort to lower the curve and take some pressure off of the medical staff. 

   That said, not everyone was eager to do their part in the midst of this global pandemic. Protests have spread across the country, as people advocate for the end of the Stay at Home orders and to open the global economy back up. These right-wing activists argue that the Stay at Home order is hurting the economy and infringing on their ‘Constitutional rights.’ 

   Gatherers in Richmond have called upon Northam to suspend the order, comparing the Stay at Home order to house arrest and saying that their simple liberties are being taken away. These anti social-distancing protests have taken hold all across America, spreading across America. President Trump has even hopped on the train, tweeting, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA!” 

   Public health officials and lawmakers are worried that these protests may increase the spread of COVID-19, as the gatherings are not being held in accordance with social-distancing standards and are spreading a false narrative against the one thing that may save us all: simply staying home.