The Trump administration has added the firearms industry, including gun shops and shooting ranges, to a federal list of "essential critical infrastructure" during the ongoing Coronavirus emergency.
On Saturday, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, deemed as critical “Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.”
The federal list is meant to advise state and local governments in their decision making.
Gun sales throughout the country have surged during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Hill reports, “Gun sales in the states most affected by the virus thus far, such as California, New York and Washington, are particularly on the rise. Consumers reportedly include both first-time buyers worried about the state of society and previous gun owners who are unsettled by the prospect of the government limiting gun purchases during the national emergency.”