A state of emergency gives a government powers that it wouldn’t normally be permitted to take, in order to protect its citizens. It may be declared before, during or after a natural disaster, civil unrest, an armed conflict, a medical pandemic or epidemic or other biosecurity risks.
During a state of emergency, the government can take control of infrastructure like radio stations, power distribution and even water supply. They can also impose travel restrictions or curfews and commandeer and ration goods like food, shelter etc. They can even ask private businesses to aid in these efforts.
However, not all states allow such broad powers. They normally have conditions that must be met to call a state of emergency, and limitations on how long it can remain in place. This is to prevent abuses such as those seen in the ‘COVID-19 and States of Emergency’ Symposium.
The main point of a state of emergency is to alert people that the situation is worse than what they can handle themselves, and so it needs outside help. So it will mainly affect people in the area of the disaster or event itself, as well as any surrounding areas.
This could be as simple as saying “It’s a state of emergency, so everyone stay inside”, or perhaps releasing non-essential workers (such as teachers) from their jobs. The actual instructions will vary by event, and the public should pay close attention to local news media for information about what is happening in their region.