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Law360 (April 2, 2020, 4:53 PM EDT) -- Be on the lookout for stay-at-home text reminders — they may be coming if local and state governments take advantage of the Federal Communications Commission's notice that emergency alerts may be used to share "life-saving information" during the coronavirus pandemic.
The agency sent out the public notice Thursday reminding all "authorized alert originators — basically all forms of federal, state, local and tribal government — that they can use the emergency alert system to send out "recommended actions for saving lives or property."
As an example, the FCC suggested reminders for the public to stay at home to decrease the risk of catching or transmitting COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The messages may be up to 360 characters and can be delivered in Spanish, it said.
The agency said it has been working in recent months to make it easier for local governments.
The FCC's reminder about emergency alerts comes as the number of confirmed cases in the United States nears a quarter of a million and at least 38 states have ordered residents to stay home or shelter in place.
The leaders of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia all took advantage of the alert system earlier this week when they issued stay-at-home orders for their respective states and districts on the same day. All three emergency alerts filled residents in on the big picture details of the order while providing a link for more detailed information.
The D.C. emergency alert implored residents to "be a good neighbor, STAY HOME."
As of close of business on Thursday, more than 5,500 people across the United States were confirmed to have died from the disease.
--Editing by Jay Jackson Jr.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
