Portland, Ore. – The optics were terrible, even if the weather was perfect. Absent a firm order from Gov. Kate Brown to stay at home, thousands of people with nothing else to do packed Oregon’s beaches, trails and state parks a couple of weekends ago.

Mayors in coastal cities panicked at the onslaught, begging Brown, a Democrat, to act. One after another, towns passed emergency ordinances that shut down hotels, campgrounds, RV parks and short-term vacation rentals to all but essential visitors.

Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, joined by 25 other leaders in nearby communities and the state’s major health care providers, warned that they would act if she didn’t.

“We’re trying to reduce the spread of the virus, and putting visitors into our town just increases the risk of rapid transmission of the virus,” said Bruce Jones, mayor of Astoria, a coastal Oregon city popular with tourists.

To be sure, some governors have had to push mayors to take bolder action. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the crowds he saw on New York City streets “a mistake.”

He urged Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio to come up with a solution, including perhaps closing some streets to vehicle traffic.

“It’s insensitive. It’s arrogant. It’s self-destructive. It’s disrespectful to other people,” Cuomo said. “And it has to stop – and it has to stop now. This is not a joke. And I am not kidding.”

Cuomo’s blunt briefings have earned praise. But, for the most part, mayors have taken a harder line than governors, which  has led to conflict.

Gabe Brown, mayor of Walton, Kentucky, wrote a foul-mouthed Facebook post that contrasted sharply with Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reassuring nightly COVID-19 briefings.

“I might not put you at ease like the Governor does, but I don’t care. You need to realize that this is a serious ordeal. In fact, it’s a big (explicative) deal. Stay at home,” the mayor wrote.

In Mississippi, absent direct guidance from Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, the state’s mayors acted on their own to create a patchwork of local stay-at-home and social distancing orders.

Eventually, Reeves issued an order superseding local efforts. The governor’s order included a broader definition of essential businesses, which emboldened some establishments to reopen after cities ordered them closed.

Mayors who sought to protect their communities were left dumbfounded and asked the governor to clarify his order.

Jones, the Astoria mayor, said he didn’t blame Brown for taking a few days to issue a statewide order: “I don’t have a beef with the governor at all. She’s in a very tough position, trying to make a decision that applies statewide across rural areas and heavily populated areas and can be fair to everyone. It’s virtually impossible.”

Brown said she took the criticism in stride – although she said she heard that her order went too far and put the state’s economy at greater risk.

“Here’s the harsh reality: None of us have lived through a global pandemic like this one,” Brown said. “The world has never seen anything like this. There is no playbook.”

This article was produced by Stateline, which is an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. It has been edited for length. Find additional articles from Stateline at pewtrusts.org/stateline.