HARRISBURG (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf extended a shutdown order Monday to the entire state of Pennsylvania in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus, although he also maintained that he will not send the National Guard or state police to force businesses to close or stop events.
Wolf acted in similar fashion as neighboring states, including Ohio, New York and New Jersey, as he closed schools statewide and a range of government offices in the days leading up to Monday.
The shutdown of nonessential government offices and nonessential business activity will begin Tuesday and last for at least two weeks, he said.
“This isn’t a decision that I take lightly at all,” Wolf said during a news conference at the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. “It’s one that I’m making because medical experts believe it’s the only way we can prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed by patients.”
State-owned liquor stores were directed to shut down after being open Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day, and restaurants were to end dine-in service.
Wolf had in recent days issued similar orders for four heavily populated southeastern Pennsylvania counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery — where the state has confirmed most of its cases of COVID-19, while Philadelphia took a similar step Monday.
The number of positive cases in Pennsylvania grew Monday, surpassing 75.
Wolf’s order is a blend of voluntary and mandatory actions.
For instance, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it was suspending gambling operations for all casinos. Wolf on Sunday night ordered bars and restaurants in five counties to close dine-in service and said businesses that do not adhere to the order could face penalties.
Still, he also said that he would not use force to close businesses, but he urged people to understand that all Pennsylvanians are in the fight together and said they owe it to one another not to spread the disease.
“People will be making their decisions what they do with their lives all across the commonwealth for the next days and weeks and months,” Wolf said in response to a reporter’s question about racetracks refusing to close unless forced. “What we ought to do is think not what should we do in terms what the law is, but what should we do in terms of what we owe to our fellow citizens.”
Wolf’s orders in recent days have often caused confusion and required clarification or adjustments.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court gave local judges the ability to shut down county courthouses as needed and the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchanges will no longer take cash or credit cards.
A look at the other developments in Pennsylvania:
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CASES
Cases confirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health have exceeded 75, as of Monday. The majority of confirmed cases have been in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Health officials have said most of the people affected were in isolation at home, with a handful being treated at hospitals.
The virus that has stricken tens of thousands around the globe causes only mild symptoms for the majority of the people who become infected but can be deadly for some, especially older adults and people with certain health conditions such as respiratory illness.
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HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
The number of medical professionals getting infected with the fast-spreading COVID-19 in Pennsylvania is growing.
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia closed its trauma department and closed its intensive care unit to new admissions after a physician was diagnosed with the illness.
The physician, who worked in the intensive care unit last Monday through Wednesday, did not acquire the infection in the hospital, the hospital’s acting CEO, Ron Dreskin, said in letter posted on the hospital’s website.
The case at St. Christopher’s follows reports in recent days that a Lehigh Valley Health Network staffer and a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia cardiologist had met with patients before testing positive.
St. Christopher’s intensive care unit staff will wear protective equipment, including gowns, gloves, eye protection and masks when they are treating patients. The unit’s staff will wear surgical masks when they are outside of patient rooms, the hospital said.
Meanwhile, hospital systems are increasingly restricting hospital visits and opening local testing sites.
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SHUTDOWNS
The Wolf administration’s definition of nonessential businesses includes community and recreation centers; gyms, including yoga, barre and spin facilities; hair salons, barbers, nail salons and spas; casinos; concert venues; theaters; bars; sporting event venues and golf courses; retail facilities, including shopping malls, except for pharmacies or other health care facilities within retail operations.
Licensed child care centers, except those in Philadelphia, must shut down. Adult day care centers and senior community centers also must close.
Restaurants can remain open for carry-out, drive-thru and delivery orders, and shut down dine-in service.
The administration said essential services and sectors include, but are not limited, to food processing; agriculture; industrial manufacturing; feed mills; construction; trash collection; grocery stores; convenience stores; retailers of household goods; home repair, hardware and auto repair stores; pharmacy and other medical facilities; biomedical and health care facilities; post offices and shipping outlets; insurers; banks; gas stations; laundromats; veterinary clinics and pet stores; warehousing, storage, and distribution facilities; public transportation; and hotel and commercial lodging.
