They're not saying you can't return to your family, they're just saying not to congregate in large numbers. I've moved back from my apartment (Chicago) to the suburbs to stay with my parents until this lockdown ceases. Of course, we both started isolating two weeks before I came home, and they picked me up so I wouldn't have to take the train.

Just use your head, don't do things that will risk spreading the disease. Taking public transit to/from your family a few times a week is very dangerous. Going someplace and staying there is not.

No, you can go outside for exercise, walks, errands. etc.

This is something I feel kind of confused about.

I live in Iowa, and we keep getting shit on from the national media for not having gone into "official" lockdown.

Everything I've heard / read suggests we're in exactly the same amount of lockdown as anyone else. We just aren't calling it that.

Governors need to know their state and people so if most everyone is staying home and doing some recreational activities then an official health order may not be necessary. But typically what you see is that businesses full of contractors and/or near bankruptcy do not have the leadership to close down - the consequences and blowback is too high for them and they need a third party to force it. So barber shops, dental offices etc are doing silly things. Churches like tithes and the incentives are misaligned for them not to play on people's angst.