Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

With escalating pandemic, Gov. Wolf extends “stay-at-home” order throughout PA

Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at his virtual press briefing on Wednesday

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday put the entire commonwealth under a “stay-at-home” order, doubling the number of counties covered under the order.

In an online press briefing, Wolf said that he made the move because the coronavirus is “spreading rapidly” and is “in every corner of our state.”

“We all have to work together in this,” he said. “It’s our only choice.”

On Thursday, the state Department of Health reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases since the first positive case was reported in early March. The department reported 1,211 new cases for a total of 7,016 positive cases. In addition, 90 people have died from the disease.

“If we don’t do everything in our power to stop this disease, we easily could have a death toll in the thousands,” Wolf said.

The order will remain in effect until April 30, he said.

Wolf said he expected voluntary compliance because “people know it’s the right thing to do.” The state police, he said, were more focused on ensuring that “non life-sustaining” businesses were closed. Earlier today, the PA State Police reported that it had issued 123 warnings for businesses to close since last week. No citations have yet been issued.

“I know that staying home for a month is really difficult, but please don’t make it a daily outing to the grocery store or convenience store,” said Secretary of Health Rachel Levine. “Please go only when you need to.”

Over the past two weeks, Wolf has been adding counties to the order in groups. Late last week, he included Lancaster and York counties and, earlier this week, Dauphin, Cumberland, Lebanon and Franklin counties, among others.

The order now extends to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Under the “stay-at-home” order, people may leave their residences only to perform any of the following allowable individual activities and allowable essential travel:

  • Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets), such as obtaining medicine or medical supplies, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home
  • Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves, for their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
  • Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking or running if they maintain social distancing
  • To perform work providing essential products and services at a life-sustaining business
  • To care for a family member or pet in another household
  • Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities
  • Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
  • Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services
  • Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction
  • Travel required by law enforcement or court order
  • Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the commonwealth
  • Anyone performing life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason for travel.

The following operations are exempt:

  • Life-sustaining business activities
  • Health care or medical services providers
  • Access to life-sustaining services for low-income residents, including food banks
  • Access to child care services for employees of life-sustaining businesses that remain open as follows: child care facilities operating under the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning waiver process; group and family child care operating in a residence; and part-day school age programs operating under an exemption from the March 19, 2020 business closure Orders
  • News media
  • Law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters
  • The federal government
  • Religious institutions

Those experiencing homelessness are not subject to this order but are strongly urged to find shelter and government agencies are urged to take steps needed to provide shelter for those individuals, according to the state.

 

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